Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Matt Albence announced Friday that he will leave the law enforcement agency after just over a year in office.
“After more than 25 years as a federal law enforcement officer, I am announcing my retirement from federal service,” Albence said in a statement. “This was an exceptionally difficult decision to make, a protracted decision due to the uncertainty of a global pandemic and the essential role that ICE continues to play in our nation’s response.”
The Washington Examiner first reported Albence’s withdrawal, which comes after more than 25 years in law enforcement. Before assuming the role of interim chief, he served as deputy director and also worked in ICE’s Execution and Elimination Operations (ERO).
Under Albence, the agency had launched an offensive against sanctuary cities, accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness of policies that allowed arrested illegal immigrants to be returned to the cities instead of being deported.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf praised Albence for leading ICE “to records of criminal arrests and seizures in support of ICE’s critical national security and public safety missions, and helped restore the integrity of the immigration system from this country”.
“I personally want to thank you for your integrity and your strong commitment, a legacy that you will leave behind with the men and women who perform admirably in the most dangerous and complex circumstances every day,” he said.
