Leadership

Chief of Staff
Nicholas J. Smith

Nick Smith is the Chief of Staff for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He joined the agency in September 2006. As Chief of Staff for ICE, Mr. Smith oversees the day-to-day activities of the Nation’s second largest federal investigative agency with more than 16,000 employees and a budget of $5 billion. Previously, he served as a counselor to the agency head and briefly as director of Public Affairs.

Prior to coming to ICE, Mr. Smith spent nearly 8 years working with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist as press secretary and deputy chief of staff. While working with Senator Frist, Mr. Smith acted as the key communications coordinator for the Senator’s office during the Capitol shooting in 1998, the anthrax attack in 2001, and Frist’s transition to Majority Leader in 2002. He also served as treasurer in 2000 and president in 2001 of the United States Senate Press Secretaries Association.

Prior to his work with Senator Frist, Mr. Smith produced policy briefings and worked in investor relations for a public policy organization and did media relations for Senator Arlen Specter.

Mr. Smith is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University.