ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to Resign May 31

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will resign on May 31 to join the private sector, according to statements from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and multiple reports. Lyons has served as ICE's acting director since March 2025, overseeing a record number of deportations under President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement policies.

During his tenure, ICE conducted more than 475,000 removals and nearly 379,000 arrests in his first year. The agency faced intense scrutiny for its role in high-profile incidents, including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year. Lyons' departure comes amid escalating backlash over ICE's tactics, including a recent shooting of a California man during a traffic stop that Lyons defended.

According to The Guardian, from January through September 2025, ICE deported 174 people renewing their protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A total of 343 DACA recipients were arrested by ICE over the first 11 months of 2025, according to a letter from Lyons and statements from DHS.

Secretary Mullin praised Lyons' leadership, calling him a great leader who helped make American communities safer. However, the agency has also faced criticism over conditions in detention centers and the lack of accountability for officers involved in controversial incidents. Lyons' resignation creates a leadership void at an agency central to Trump's nationwide deportation initiative.

The search for his successor falls to Secretary Mullin, who was confirmed last month after replacing Kristi Noem amid growing backlash to immigration enforcement operations. Finding a replacement is one of Mullin's first major decisions as secretary. ICE continues to grapple with ongoing controversies and a partial government shutdown sparked by funding disputes over immigration enforcement reforms.