David Venturella, a seasoned official in immigration enforcement with significant connections to the detention sector, is anticipated to become the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to sources from Fox News. This development is likely to renew Democratic scrutiny due to his past associations with a major private prison company, amidst Republican efforts to increase the agency’s funding and deportation activities.
Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that Venturella will assume the role of acting ICE director following the departure of current Acting Director Todd Lyons next week.
Venturella, who has served as a senior advisor for ICE under the Trump administration, reportedly had a significant position within the ICE division responsible for managing detention-center contracts. However, ICE has clarified that he has not been involved in the review, approval, or recommendation of these contracts.
His recruitment was facilitated by Tom Homan after the election of President Donald Trump.
FILE – Dave Venturella, who serves as a senior advisor for ICE, is expected to lead the agency temporarily. (Ron Holman, Visalia Times-Delta via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
Prior to his current government role, Venturella spent over ten years with The GEO Group, a private prison company that holds contracts with ICE to manage immigration detention centers.
The company has faced numerous allegations and lawsuits claiming abuse, neglect and substandard care at Geo detention facilities.
Venturella, a career immigration enforcement official, made millions after moving to GEO-operated, where he worked as an executive from 2012 to 2023 and as a paid consultant through Jan. 31, 2025.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons was reportedly hospitalized twice amid pressure from the Trump administration to increase deportations of illegal immigrants, according to a Politico report. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe and John Moore/Getty Images)
He started his career in 1986 at the former INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) and as acting director and assistant director of ICE’s Office of Detention and Removal Operations.
Sources said he is well liked within ICE and one source described him as “definitely on board with the mission and the mass deportation agenda,” though he does not support certain policies, including roving immigration patrols, that were being used during former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure.
As Republicans attempt to push through a roughly $70 billion reconciliation package to fund ICE and CBP, Democrats are expected to make noise about Venturella’s prior stint with GEO, which has a history of complaints.
There will also likely be questions about Venturella’s past financial ties to GEO and potential conflicts, given reports that he has held a senior role in the ICE division that manages detention-center contracts that could go to his former employer. ICE has said Venturella has divested from GEO, has no financial ties to the company and has no role in reviewing, approving or recommending contracts.
