Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will resign at the end of May. Federal officials announced Thursday that his last day will be May 31, after which he will move to the private sector. Lyons, who was appointed acting director in March 2025, led the agency central to President Donald Trump’s mass arrest and deportation campaign.
Under his leadership, the agency received a massive infusion of cash through Congress, which was used to expand hiring and detention capabilities. Lyons ramped up arrests and signed a memo granting federal immigration officers sweeping powers to forcibly enter homes and make arrests without a judge’s warrant. ICE was also central to high-profile enforcement operations in cities including Chicago and Minneapolis, though these deployments ended after backlash erupted over the deaths of two American protesters.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described Lyons as a great leader who helped make American communities safer, though Mullin expressed hope that the administration can carry out deportations in a more quiet way following several deaths and negative media coverage. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called Lyons an American patriot, and border czar Tom Homan described him as a highly respected and effective leader who served selflessly.
Lyons joined ICE in 2007 as an immigration enforcement agent in Texas. Despite praise from the administration, public perceptions of the agency under his leadership remained low. In a February AP-NORC poll, most U.S. adults, including independents, said they have an unfavorable view of the agency. It was not immediately clear who would be replacing him.