Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to Resign Following Year of Enforcement Controversy

Todd Lyons, the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced his resignation effective May 31, 2026, after more than a year leading the agency through one of the most aggressive immigration enforcement campaigns in recent American history. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the departure in a statement on Thursday, saying Lyons would move to the private sector. In a letter to Mullin reviewed by The New York Times, Lyons cited family reasons for his decision, writing that his sons were "reaching a pivotal point in their lives" and that he and his wife wished to spend more time with them. CBS News first reported the planned departure, citing two U.S. officials familiar with his plans. Lyons had led ICE since March 9, 2025, overseeing a sweeping expansion of the agency's operations under President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.

Fatal Minnesota shootings cast shadow over his tenure Lyons' time at ICE was defined by escalating controversy, most notably the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — by ICE agents in Minneapolis in January 2026, which triggered nationwide protests. When Lyons testified before Congress following the shootings, he declined to apologize to the victims' families or say whether he agreed with the Trump administration's characterization of the two Americans as "domestic terrorists," according to The Guardian. Minnesota's top federal judge summoned Lyons to appear in court and warned he could be held in contempt for defying court orders, though Lyons ultimately did not have to testify. His departure was announced on the same day prosecutors in Minnesota charged an ICE agent with two counts of felony assault, accusing the officer of pointing a firearm at motorists on a Minneapolis highway during a surge operation in February 2026. Prosecutors described those charges as the first filed against an ICE agent in connection with the agency's enforcement actions in Minnesota under the Trump administration. Lyons also defended agents' rights to wear masks during operations despite widespread public safety concerns about unidentifiable officers.

Health struggles and Amazon Prime comparison drew scrutiny Politico reported that Lyons had been hospitalized at least twice for stress-related issues during his tenure, a strain that current and former administration officials said caused him difficulty in making key decisions for the agency. Beyond the health concerns, Lyons drew public attention for remarks he made at a border security conference in Phoenix, Arizona, where he compared the mass deportation operation to Amazon's Prime delivery service, saying ICE needed to "get better at treating this like a business, where this mass deportation operation is something like you would see and say, like Amazon trying to get your Prime delivery within 24 hours." 850 (million USD) — spent by ICE to buy warehouses in at least nine locations">ICE spending on warehouse facilities under Lyons Mullin, who took command of the Department of Homeland Security last month after Trump fired Kristi Noem, said he would review those warehouse plans. Polling cited by The Guardian showed that nearly two-thirds of Americans believed ICE had gone too far as of February, and a March poll found half of Americans would support abolishing the agency entirely.

ICE was established in 2003 following the reorganization of federal law enforcement agencies after the September 11 attacks, absorbing functions previously held by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The agency operates under DHS and is the primary federal body responsible for immigration enforcement in the interior of the United States. Lyons joined ICE in 2007 as an agent in Dallas and worked his way up through the Enforcement and Removal Operations division before being tapped to lead the agency. He also served in the U.S. Air Force, including a deployment with the Special Operations Command Central, and worked as a police officer before joining ICE.

White House praises Lyons as DHS faces image reset Despite the controversies, senior White House officials offered strong praise for Lyons upon the announcement of his resignation. White House border czar Tom Homan said in a statement that Lyons "served selflessly" to "protect our country and advance its interests." White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described Lyons as "a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader who has been at the center of President Trump's historic efforts to secure our homeland." Mullin's statement said Lyons "jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years" and that "American communities are safer" as a result of his leadership. Mullin did not name a successor in his statement, and neither DHS nor the White House immediately responded to questions about who would lead ICE after May 31. Lyons' exit comes less than a month after Mullin himself was sworn in to lead DHS, raising questions about continuity in the agency's direction as the Trump administration continues its mass deportation campaign.