Two Reasons Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Will Step Down By May 31: 'Thanks To Him, American Communities Are Safer'

Lyons told colleagues he wants to spend time with his sons, who are 'reaching a pivotal point in their lives,' and return to Massachusetts, CBS News said. He is expected to move to the private sector.

His departure also follows reporting by Politico in March 2026 that Lyons had been hospitalised at least twice for stress-related issues over seven months. One episode in September 2025 resulted in an overnight stay after his security detail drove him to the hospital. A second overnight admission came in December in Washington, Newsweek reported.

Politico also reported that Lyons showed signs of physical distress during a separate incident in Los Angeles. Officials told the outlet that they witnessed him turn deep red and break into a heavy sweat under pressure.

Lyons denied the strain came from the White House. 'Any stress is in no way related to pressure from the White House, and nothing will get in the way of me doing my job,' he said at the time.

Todd Lyons Oversaw Record ICE Deportation Numbers

Lyons took over as acting director in March 2025 after his predecessor, Caleb Vitello, was reassigned less than two months into the role. A former US Air Force special forces member, he joined ICE in 2007 as an agent in Dallas, Texas, and rose through the enforcement ranks before taking command at headquarters.

At a congressional hearing in February, he told lawmakers ICE had made about 379,000 arrests and removed more than 475,000 people during the administration's first year. Separate figures put total deportations closer to 584,000 since Trump's second inauguration, per the Associated Press.

White House border czar Tom Homan praised Lyons for achieving 'a record number of removals' and called him 'highly respected.' Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described him as 'a phenomenal patriot.'

Hours before the announcement, Lyons was still testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee, fielding questions about deaths in ICE custody and future detention plans.

Minneapolis Shootings Shadowed Lyons' ICE Tenure

In January 2026, the fatal shootings of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by immigration agents in Minneapolis triggered bipartisan outrage. They pulled the agency into a prolonged standoff with Congress and the courts.

At a February hearing, Lyons declined to comment in detail on the case, citing an ongoing investigation.

'I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private. But I'm not going to comment on any active investigation,' he said, per AP.

Minnesota's top federal judge summoned Lyons in January, warning he could face contempt proceedings for the agency's alleged failure to comply with court orders. Lyons ultimately did not have to testify.

Lyons was also linked to allegedly authorising agents to forcibly enter certain individuals' homes without a judge's warrant, according to a May 2025 internal memo disclosed by a whistleblower. A February AP-NORC poll found most US adults, including independents, held an unfavourable view of ICE.

It was not immediately clear who would succeed Lyons. ICE has lacked a Senate-confirmed director since the end of the Obama administration in early 2017 and has cycled through roughly a dozen acting leaders since.

Finding a replacement will be among the first major decisions for Mullin, who was confirmed as DHS secretary only last month.