The Trump administration has abruptly removed Mellissa Harper, the top official responsible for overseeing the care of unaccompanied migrant children. Harper, who was the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), informed staff via email on Tuesday that her detail had been terminated. She did not provide a reason for the decision, but a Trump administration official, speaking anonymously, said she failed to meet White House expectations. Neither Harper nor the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees ORR, responded to requests for comment.
This leadership shake-up comes as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to locate and deport migrant children who entered the U.S. without their parents. Harper had previously worked at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and had brought a small ICE team into the refugee office, sources said. After Trump took office, she had told staff that ORR planned to crack down on smuggling networks, which could also implicate parents who paid smugglers to bring their children to the U.S.
Additionally, Harper had discussed using DNA tests to verify family relationships among migrants, though it was unclear how frequently such tests would be conducted. Reuters previously reported on ORR’s consideration of this controversial measure.
Angie Salazar, a special agent leading ICE’s investigative unit in Detroit, is expected to take over as ORR’s acting director. The move reflects Trump’s pattern of frequent personnel changes, particularly among top immigration officials. Just last month, acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello was reassigned as part of the administration’s push for stricter enforcement.