The Houston office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the most reliable engines of America’s deportation machine.

Even before Donald Trump took office a second time, with the goal of 1 million immigrant expulsions in a year, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office was deporting 12,000 to 15,000 people annually, according to its director, Bret Bradford.

Bradford — a darling of right-wing deportation coverage, from the New York Post to Fox News — touts his determination to “restore law and order in our communities.” He recently lauded “the brave men and women at ICE Houston” for their “unwavering dedication,” and for working “tirelessly every day to enhance public safety.”

Scores of internal documents reviewed by The Intercept paint a different picture and suggest a commitment to safety and law and order may stop at the entrance to ICE’s Houston Field Office.

The files lay out a series of allegations against Bradford and other top Houston ICE officials, including retaliation against a whistleblower who reported being intimidated with an “8-inch tactical knife” by a fellow ICE officer in a facility that does not allow weapons. The whistleblower also alleges another supervisor knowingly lied on an official document.

An email from the whistleblower sent to the Congressional DOGE Caucus earlier this year reported “corruption” among top Houston ICE officials. Bradford “turned a blind eye to the criminal activity and has taken no action against the officials,” wrote the whistleblower. The allegations of retaliation are further detailed in public documents from the Merit Systems Protection Board, which reviews cases of government employees who are contesting demotions or terminations.

After he blew the whistle on a weapons violation, the ICE officer was effectively demoted.

Documents show that almost immediately after he blew the whistle on a weapons violation, the ICE officer was effectively demoted. While that demotion was overturned in 2024, he remains locked in a yearslong struggle with ICE over alleged whistleblower retaliation and has a hearing before the Merit Systems Protection Board scheduled for June 3 and 4.

Bradford has been aware of these allegations of wrongdoing and whistleblower retaliation since at least August 2023, according to emails and memorandums reviewed by The Intercept.

Repeated requests by The Intercept for an interview with Bradford were denied by Tim Oberle, an ICE spokesperson in Houston. A whistleblower complaint against Bradford was recently closed.

“We don’t comment on employment matters for privacy reasons,” Oberle told The Intercept. “[Office of Professional Responsibility] investigations inherently involve ‘employment matters’ and U.S. privacy laws prohibit federal agencies from releasing details of those investigations to the media.”

Complaints about operations at ICE’s Houston Field Office are just the latest in a long line of allegations of waste, mismanagement, abuse, cover-ups, and other

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