Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to Resign May 31

Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons will resign from his position on May 31, according to an announcement made Thursday by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Lyons, a two-decade agency veteran, has led ICE since March 2025 during the rollout of President Trump's mass deportation agenda. He is expected to transition to the private sector following his departure.

The Details

During his tenure, Lyons oversaw a significant expansion of the agency's workforce, hiring approximately 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year. At a February 2026 congressional hearing, Lyons reported that ICE conducted 379,000 arrests and removed over 475,000 individuals from the U.S. during the first year of the Trump administration.

Lyons' leadership has been marked by intense operational activity and significant controversy. In January 2026, federal agents in Minneapolis fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Lyons declined to apologize for the killings and did not confirm whether he agreed with administration claims that the individuals were 'domestic terrorists.'

On the day his resignation was announced, Lyons testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee. He faced questioning regarding future detention space requirements and an unprecedented number of deaths occurring in ICE custody.

Internal reports suggest Lyons occasionally disagreed with administration strategies. Specifically, he reportedly opposed efforts by former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to elevate Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino to lead sweeping roundups in major U.S. cities.

Lyons also defended the use of masks by his officers, despite public safety concerns that agents were becoming unidentifiable during operations.

Context

ICE has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since early 2017, relying on a succession of roughly a dozen acting directors over the last decade. Lyons succeeded Caleb Vitello in March 2025.

The agency's recent tactics have drawn bipartisan criticism and a decline in public approval. A February 2026 poll indicated that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe ICE has gone too far, while a March poll suggested half of the population would prefer the agency be abolished.

Furthermore, an analysis by The Guardian in February 2026 challenged the administration's 'worst of the worst' narrative, finding that the majority of individuals entering deportation proceedings for the first time in 2025 had no criminal convictions.

What's Next

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who was confirmed by the Senate on March 23, now faces the task of selecting a successor for Lyons. This will be one of Mullin's first major personnel decisions since replacing Kristi Noem.

Lyons' departure comes as the administration continues its aggressive immigration enforcement operations, leaving the agency at a critical juncture regarding its leadership and public legitimacy.