WASHINGTON — Ronald D. Vitiello, a senior Border Patrol official, will serve as acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Trump administration announced on Saturday, in a move that comes amid calls by some activists and politicians for the agency to be abolished.

Mr. Vitiello currently serves as the acting deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, and previously served as the chief of the Border Patrol.

He will replace Thomas D. Homan, the current acting head of ICE, who retired this month. The Senate must approve a full-time director for ICE, with Mr. Vitiello now viewed as the leading candidate.

“I am pleased that ICE will continue to be led by an experienced and well-respected career law enforcement officer who will be a strong advocate for the agency’s work force,” Kirstjen M. Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, said in a statement announcing the appointment.