Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to Resign Following Controversial Tenure

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will leave his post on May 31, 2026, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on April 16. Mullin confirmed the departure in a statement posted on social media, praising Lyons as a key figure in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement drive. No official reason for the resignation was given. According to NBC News, Lyons is expected to move to the private sector. Fox News reported, citing a source, that Lyons submitted a formal resignation letter to Mullin on Thursday and wishes to spend more time with his family.

Lyons led ICE through its most turbulent year Lyons was appointed acting director by President Donald Trump in March 2025 and had been with the agency for 20 years before that appointment. His tenure coincided with the most aggressive phase of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement campaign, which included mass deportation raids in cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis. A few hours before his resignation became public, Lyons testified before a House subcommittee on April 16, answering questions from lawmakers about the unprecedented number of deaths in ICE custody and the agency's future detention plans. According to Corriere della Sera, 50 migrants died in ICE custody during his tenure. In February, Lyons told Congress that ICE had made and deported more than , which he described as "historic results." He also told Congress that the agency operates in the "deadliest operating environment in its history."

Minneapolis shootings cast shadow over agency's record The most damaging episode of Lyons' tenure came in January 2026, when ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis during protests against the agency's presence in the city. The killings sparked nationwide protests and drew criticism from human rights experts, who said ICE's actions had created an unsafe environment, particularly for minorities. Following the deaths and the ensuing demonstrations, the ICE operation in Minneapolis was called off. Lyons refused to publicly apologize for the shootings during a congressional hearing in February, instead defending the agency's record. The incidents also contributed to the political pressure that surrounded the dismissal of Lyons' former departmental superior, Kristi Noem, who was removed by Trump at the beginning of March 2026. Mullin, who has been in office for barely a month, has not yet announced a successor for Lyons.

ICE was established in 2003 as part of the reorganization of federal law enforcement following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has been a central instrument of immigration enforcement across multiple administrations. During Trump's first term, Tom Homan served as acting ICE director and became a prominent advocate for aggressive deportation policies. Homan was later designated by Trump as "border czar" for the second term, overseeing the broader immigration crackdown of which Lyons' ICE was the operational arm.

White House praises Lyons, successor still unnamed White House officials offered warm assessments of Lyons' record despite the controversies surrounding his tenure. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, credited Lyons with achieving a record number of deportations in the first year of the Trump administration. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, called Lyons a "phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader," according to Blick.ch. White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson described Lyons as an American patriot "who made our country safer." Mullin, for his part, wrote that Lyons "has revitalized an agency that had not been allowed to perform its job for four years" and that "thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer today." The identity of Lyons' successor remains unknown, leaving the leadership of one of the Trump administration's most prominent enforcement agencies in an uncertain state as the spring deportation season continues.

„Todd Lyons has been an excellent leader of ICE. We wish him good luck in the next stage of his career in the private sector. His last day of work is May 31, 2026.” — Markwayne Mullin via BFMTV

„The agency operates in the deadliest operating environment in its history.” — Todd Lyons via Europa Press