DHS/ICE/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump is pulling the nomination of Ron Vitiello to lead US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying he wants to go in a ‘tougher direction’ — a move that came at the urging of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller…Miller directly lobbied Trump to pull the nomination, two White House officials told CNN. Miller went to the President and told him that Vitiello, who has led the agency in an acting capacity since last summer, was not fully in favor of closing the southern border, as Trump has threatened to do in recent days. The move to withdraw the nomination came as a surprise to the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress, sources familiar with the nomination told CNN. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was unaware what was happening until after the nomination had been pulled, a person familiar with the news said. Vitiello did not come into the office Friday [4-5-19], according to an ICE official. He had been scheduled to travel with Trump on the President’s trip to the US-Mexico border, and was told Thursday [4-4-19] he would not be attending. The White House on Thursday evening informed the Senate it was withdrawing its nomination of Vitiello to lead ICE, according to a letter obtained by CNN.”
–Priscilla Alvarez, Geneva Sands, Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Jim Acosta, “Trump suddenly pulls ICE nominee to go with someone ‘tougher’,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 5, 2019 5:14 pm