Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Resigns After DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Sets May 31 Exit

Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons submitted a resignation letter to newly-appointed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday, and Mullin set Lyons’ last day for May 31.

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The National Desk reported that Mullin wrote on X that "Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities," adding "He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years."

CNN

Mullin also said, "Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer," and the same outlet quoted White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson writing on X that Lyons is "an American patriot who made our country safer."

Fox News, as cited by The National Desk, reported that Lyons said he decided to step aside because he wants to spend more time with his family, including his sons, who are "reaching a pivotal point in their lives."

The National Desk also said Lyons has led ICE in an acting capacity since March 2025, after initially joining ICE as an immigration enforcement agent in Texas nearly 20 years ago.

NPR similarly reported that federal officials announced Lyons would resign at the end of May, with Mullin saying his last day would be May 31, and it noted the DHS did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking why he is resigning.

Lyons’ resignation arrives after a year in which ICE was described by multiple outlets as a central executor of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda and mass deportation plans.

NPR said Lyons was named acting director in March 2025 and that under his leadership ICE was granted a massive infusion of cash through Congress, which it used to expand hiring and detention capabilities, and it ramped up arrests to meet demand from the administration.

Fox News

NPR also said ICE was central to high-profile immigration enforcement operations in American cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis, and that the deployment ended after backlash erupted over the deaths of two American protesters at the hands of federal immigration officers.

USA Today reported that Lyons oversaw immigration enforcement crackdowns linked to killings in Minnesota and Illinois and said his resignation came within hours of a hearing on the record number of detainee deaths in ICE detention centers.

USA Today further stated that Lyons told lawmakers at that point that at least 44 people have died in agency custody since he began his acting tenure in March 2025, and it said the number of people who have died in ICE custody during Trump’s second term is the highest in the agency’s lifetime.

The Guardian added that Lyons oversaw an enormous expansion of ICE, which said in January it had hired roughly 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year, and it described Lyons as defending officers’ rights to wear masks despite concerns about public safety risks posed by agents being unidentifiable.

Beyond the resignation itself, the sources describe Lyons’ tenure as marked by congressional scrutiny and court pressure tied to shootings and detention-related disputes.

“Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons submitted his resignation letter to Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin Thursday, writing that he will stay on through May 31 to assist the transition process, Fox News has confirmed”

Fox News

NPR said Lyons faced questions in Congress over the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and was asked if he would apologize for the way some Trump administration officials characterized Good as an agitator, and it reported that he declined to do so.

NPR quoted Lyons saying, "I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private. But I'm not going to comment on any active investigation," and it added that Lyons said he had seen video that captured Pretti's shooting but could not comment, citing an active investigation.

The Guardian described how, in January, Minnesota’s top federal judge summoned Lyons to appear before his court and warned the acting ICE head could be held in contempt for defying orders, and it said the judge accused the Trump administration of ignoring court orders in Minnesota amid a surge in lawsuits.

The Guardian also said Lyons ultimately did not have to testify, and it described that he declined to apologize to Good’s and Pretti’s families or say whether he agreed with the Trump administration’s widely criticized claims that the U.S. citizens shot by officers were “domestic terrorists.”

In addition, NPR said Lyons signed off on a memo, first obtained by The Associated Press, that granted federal immigration officers sweeping powers to forcibly enter homes and make arrests without a judge's warrant.

While critics and lawmakers pressed Lyons during his tenure, the resignation announcement also triggered praise from Trump administration figures in the sources.

Mullin’s statement, quoted across outlets, framed Lyons as a leader who helped remove violent offenders and made communities safer, saying, "Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities."

NPR

Mullin added, "He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years," and "Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer," as The National Desk and CNN both reproduced.

Fox News and CNN also quoted White House border czar Tom Homan praising Lyons as having "served selflessly" and calling him "a highly respected and effective acting Director of U.S. ICE."

Stephen Miller, described by NPR as the president's deputy chief of staff and the main architect of his immigration policy, was quoted calling Lyons a "dedicated leader" and saying, "His courageous work at ICE has saved countless thousands of American lives and helped deliver safety and tranquility to millions of Americans."

Axios and CNN both noted that it was unclear who would replace Lyons, with Axios adding that Lyons would remain until May 31 to help with the transition process.

The sources diverge in how they frame Lyons’ departure, with some emphasizing the administration’s narrative of public safety while others emphasize controversy, detention deaths, and legal disputes.

“ICE acting director Todd Lyons will resign at end of May, DHS says WASHINGTON — U”

NPR

The National Desk and NPR foreground Mullin’s praise and the claim that Lyons helped make "American communities are safer," while USA Today and the Guardian foreground the scale of controversy, including a hearing tied to detainee deaths and pressure after shootings.

The Guardian

USA Today said Lyons’ resignation came within hours of a hearing on the record number of detainee deaths in ICE detention centers and reported that Lyons told lawmakers at least 44 people have died in ICE custody since March 2025.

The Guardian described escalating backlash over "violent and aggressive tactics" and said Lyons defended a recent shooting of a California man during a traffic stop, while also recounting the Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the court warning in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that polls showed anti-ICE sentiment, including a February poll finding that nearly two-thirds of Americans said ICE had gone too far and a March poll reporting that half of Americans would like to see ICE abolished, and it said a Fox News poll reported six in 10 voters disapproved of ICE’s performance.

Looking ahead, multiple outlets said it was not immediately known who might replace Lyons, and NPR said "It's not clear who might replace Lyons," while CNN said it was unclear who would step into the role after Lyons departs.