WASHINGTON – I want to thank Matt Albence for his 25 years of dedicated service to the United States Government in federal law enforcement. As the senior law enforcement official for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mr. Albence was responsible for ICE's day-to-day operations and oversaw a workforce of more than 20,000 officers, special agents, attorneys, and mission support professionals assigned to more than 400 domestic and international offices. I personally want to thank him for his integrity and leadership – a legacy he will leave behind with the men and women who perform admirably every day.
Background:
Mr. Albence is an accomplished senior executive with over two decades of experience and success in leading the United States’ second largest federal law enforcement agency, and the principal investigative agency of the Department of Homeland Security. In this role he manages a budget of over $8 billion, and directs the global law enforcement efforts of over 21,000 personnel, in over 400 offices, in nearly 50 countries, responsible for transnational criminal investigations, visa security, internal security, and immigration and customs enforcement.
Mr. Albence began acting in the Director’s capacity in April 2019, with the exception of Mark Morgan’s brief tenure as Acting Director.
Prior to this, Mr. Albence served as the agency’s Deputy Director, selected for this position in August 2018.
Mr. Albence was appointed as Executive Associate Director (EAD) for Enforcement and Removal Operations in February 2017, leading ERO in its mission to identify, arrest, and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the United States illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts. In this role, Mr. Albence led an organization of more than 7,600 employees assigned to 24 ERO field offices and 22 overseas locations.
Previously, Mr. Albence served as the Assistant Director for the ERO Enforcement Division where he was responsible for all ERO enforcement programs and initiatives.
As Director Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Albence has 25 years of federal law enforcement experience, beginning his career in San Antonio as a Special Agent with the former U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) in 1994. He was promoted in 1999 to Supervisory Special Agent, San Antonio. Mr. Albence’s supervisory experience also includes positions Deputy Assistant District Director for Investigations, Chicago; Associate Special Agent in Charge, Chicago; Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Detroit; Unit Chief for the ICE Office of Investigations Training Academy, Glynco; TSA Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the South Central Regional Field Office and Deputy Assistant Director for the ERO Criminal Alien Division.