Acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, submitted his resignation from the agency this week.
Lyons, who led the agency during the second Trump administration’s mass immigration crackdowns, will remain in the role until May 31, 2026.
"Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and a key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement to CBS News confirming Lyons’ resignation. "He jump-started an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years. Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer.”
According to CBS News, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter reported that Lyons told colleagues he’s planning on leaving the agency to spend more time with his family.
President Donald Trump appointed Lyons, a 20-year ICE veteran, as acting director in March of 2025, following the removal of Caleb Vitello.
Praise from Trump Administration Colleagues
“ICE achieved a record number of removals in the first year of this Administration, despite unprecedented challenges,” White House border czar Tom Homan said in an email statement reported by NBC News. “I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career, and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests.”
According to CBS News, in a separate statement, Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, 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 and reverse the Democrats' sinister border invasion."
Lyons' Background
Lyons joined ICE in 2007, working as an officer in Dallas, Texas. Rising through the ranks, Lyons became the field office director of ICE’s Boston region, covering all of New England. Lyons went on to take leadership roles at ICE headquarters, working as assistant director for field operations at ICE's deportation branch, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
