WASHINGTON—The acting head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which has been at the heart of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will leave the federal government at the end of May, the Trump administration said on Thursday.
Todd Lyons’ last day is May 31 and he will move to the private sector, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
Trump says the crackdown is necessary to improve domestic security and curb illegal immigration.
Before being appointed acting chief of ICE in March 2025, Lyons was the executive associate director of the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations directorate. In that role, he led efforts to arrest and remove migrants who came to the U.S. illegally, according to his official biography.
Lyons held other roles at the Enforcement and Removal Operations directorate, including assistant director of field operations and deputy assistant director of western operations and the southwest border, among other positions. He started with the directorate as an immigration enforcement agent in Dallas.
Mullin called Lyons “a great leader.”
