Leadership

Acting Director, Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO),
Gary E. Mead

Since March 16, 2008, Gary E. Mead has served as Acting Director for the Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO), within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Through the fair enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws, DRO promotes public safety and national security by ensuring the departure of all removable aliens from the United States. In his capacity, Mr. Mead is responsible for employing DRO resources to detain certain aliens while their cases are being processed; and to remove them from the United States when so ordered. Mr. Mead has direct operational oversight over all of DRO; he is accountable for the execution of a $2.4 billion dollar budget and the management of approximately 6,800 staff.

From April 16, 2006, to January 2008, Mr. Mead served as the DRO Assistant Director (AD) for Management. In his capacity as AD for Management, Mr. Mead strategically optimized its use of current and new Information Technology (IT) systems, led a significant revision to the process by instituting a video teleconferencing program to increase removal efficiency, and was an integral part of the successful effort of ending the former practice of “catch-and-release”. From January 2008-March 16, 2008, Mr. Mead was the DRO Deputy Director and had direct operational oversight of all three major program divisions within DRO.

Prior to joining ICE in April 2006, Mr. Mead spent his entire federal law enforcement career with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) where he held a wide variety of Administrative and Law Enforcement positions including: Associate Director for Administration, Associate Director for Operations Support, and Assistant Director for Management and Budget. He often represented the USMS at the highest levels of government working directly with Attorneys General, Heads of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, Members of Congress, and the Federal Judiciary. He frequently testified before Congress, gave press interviews, and was featured in a Discovery Channel program on the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS). Some of Mr. Mead’s specific responsibilities included the Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Program, Federal Prisoner Detention Program, and JPATS.

He has been a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for more than 20 years. In October 2007, Mr. Mead was the recipient of the prestigious SES Presidential Meritorious Executive award, which is given to a select group of SES career members who have provided exceptional service to the American people over an extended period of time. 

Mr. Mead has a Bachelor’s Degree from the State University of New York, a Master’s Degree from Bowling Green State University, and is a graduate of the Management Program at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.