[5] After U.S. Customs and Border Protection deputy commissioner Randolph Alles resigned to become the director of the United States Secret Service, Vitiello was appointed to take his place on April 25, 2017.

[7] In early June 2018, Vitiello was named acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.

[8] Under Vitiello's leadership, ICE continued implementing a policy of "zero tolerance," which critics charge has had the result of separating families at the border and increasing deportations.

Vitiello said it was intended as a direct message, was a joke, and was sorry it caused offense; Kamala Harris echoed Peters' reply, grilling him on why that was a poor comparison.

[11][12][13][14] On April 4, 2019, Trump rescinded Vitiello's nomination as director of ICE,[15] stating to reporters the next day at the White House before leaving on a trip to border that, "Ron’s a good man, but we’re going in a tougher direction.