Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has announced the appointment of Charles Wall, principal legal adviser at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as deputy director of ICE.
DHS said Thursday Wall has served at ICE since 2012.
What Are DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Thoughts on Charles Wall’s Appointment?
Noem, a previous Wash100 awardee, said she looks forward to working with Wall.
“For the last year, Mr. Wall served as ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor, playing a key role in helping us deliver historic results in arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. Mr. Wall has served as an ICE attorney for 14 years and is a forward leaning, strategic thinker who understands the importance of prioritizing the removal of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from our country,” the DHS secretary noted.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Wall will succeed Madison Sheahan as ICE’s deputy director. Sheahan, who took on the role in March 2025, stepped down to run for Congress in Ohio’s 9th District.
Who Is Charles Wall?
As ICE’s principal legal adviser, Wall managed over 3,500 attorneys and support staff who represent DHS in removal proceedings and offer legal counsel to the agency’s senior officials and workforce.
Prior to this role, he served as ICE’s deputy chief counsel for New Orleans and assistant chief counsel in Louisiana.
Before joining ICE, he was a prosecutor and senior assistant district attorney at the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office from 2009 to 2012.
The University of New Orleans history graduate earned his law degree from Tulane Law School.
