Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin Announces Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Resignation May 31

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons is stepping down from the agency later this spring, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announcing Thursday that Lyons’ last day at ICE will be May 31.

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Axios

CNN reports Mullin said Lyons is a “great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities,” while Mullin “didn’t provide a reason for the departure.”

CBS News

NPR similarly reports that Mullin announced Lyons’ resignation and that Lyons “will resign at the end of May,” with Mullin saying, “We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector.”

NPR also notes that the Department of Homeland Security “did not immediately respond to an email” from The Associated Press asking why Lyons is resigning.

The Guardian frames the move as a leadership change after a “turbulent year carrying out Donald Trump’s immigration agenda,” saying Lyons will “resign at the end of May and move to the private sector.”

Politico adds that Lyons “plans to take a position in the private sector,” and that Mullin said in a statement, “Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer.”

Multiple outlets emphasize that it is not yet clear who will replace Lyons, with CNN saying “It’s unclear who would step into the role after Lyons departs,” and the Guardian reporting that “Mullin’s statement did not include details about who will succeed Lyons.”

Across the coverage, Lyons’ tenure is repeatedly tied to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement and deportation agenda, with outlets describing him as a key executor of the mass deportations plan.

CNN says Lyons was “tasked with overseeing the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan as the acting ICE chief,” and it places his leadership “on the heels of the shootings of two US citizens by federal agents in January.”

CNN

NPR similarly describes Lyons as “a key executor of President Donald Trump's mass deportations agenda,” and says he was “named acting director in March 2025.”

Under Lyons, NPR reports that the agency was granted “a massive infusion of cash through Congress,” which it used “to expand hiring and detention capabilities,” and that ICE “ramped up arrests to meet demand from the administration.”

The Guardian adds that Lyons “oversaw the enormous expansion of ICE,” and says that in January ICE “said in January it had hired roughly 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year.”

Politico describes the operational footprint as “swept through U.S. cities and conducted mass arrests of noncitizens,” and it points to Minneapolis where “immigration officials killed two unarmed U.S. citizens during enforcement operations.”

Axios and Fox News both state that Lyons will remain in the role until May 31 to help with the transition process, with Fox News saying he “will stay on through May 31 to assist the transition process.”

Lyons’ departure is framed as coming after intense scrutiny in Congress and in connection with fatal shootings involving U.S. citizens.

“Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons is stepping down from his role later this spring, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Thursday”

CNN

CNN says Lyons “testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee” earlier Thursday, where he faced questions “about the unprecedented number of deaths in ICE custody and future agency plans for detention space.”

NPR adds that Lyons faced continued scrutiny from lawmakers of ICE's actions and that “On Thursday, Lyons, along with two other top immigration officials, appeared before a House subcommittee to argue for his agency's budget.”

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

NPR quotes Lyons’ refusal to comment on an active investigation, 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 adds that Lyons said he had seen video that captured Pretti's shooting but “said he could not comment, citing an active investigation.”

The Guardian provides additional legal context, saying that “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.”

Politico describes the Minneapolis deaths as part of “clashes between ICE agents and protesters in several cities,” and it says “Outrage over their deaths prompted the administration to dial back operations.”

While the reporting emphasizes controversy around ICE, the announcement of Lyons’ departure is accompanied by praise from senior Trump administration figures.

CNN says Mullin called Lyons a “great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities,” and it adds that Mullin “didn’t provide a reason for the departure.”

KTIV

NPR quotes Mullin’s statement directly, saying, “We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector,” and it reports that Stephen Miller called Lyons a “dedicated leader.”

NPR also says White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described Lyons in a post on X as “an American patriot who made our country safer.”

CNN reports that White House border czar Tom Homan applauded Lyons, saying he has “served selflessly,” and it includes Homan’s statement: “I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests.”

Politico similarly quotes Mullin’s praise, saying, “Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer.”

Fox News echoes the same themes, quoting Homan as saying, “Todd has served selflessly as a highly respected and effective acting Director of U.S. ICE,” and it quotes Miller as saying, “Todd is a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader who has been at the center of President Trump’s historic efforts to secure our homeland and reverse the Democrats’ sinister border invasion.”

The sources also describe what Lyons’ exit could mean for ICE’s leadership and for the political fight around immigration enforcement.

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CNN says “It’s unclear who would step into the role after Lyons departs,” and it notes that “ICE has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration.”

NBC News

NPR similarly says “It’s not clear who might replace Lyons,” while adding that whoever does will take over an agency “flush with cash while still a flashpoint for controversy.”

The Guardian says Mullin’s statement “did not include details about who will succeed Lyons,” and it describes the departure as coming as ICE faces “escalating backlash over its violent and aggressive tactics across the country.”

NPR adds that ICE is “at the center of a battle in Congress,” with “Democratic lawmakers demanding restraints on immigration officers before agreeing to restore routine funding for DHS.”

It also says Lyons’ departure comes as DHS is under new leadership after Trump fired former Secretary Kristi Noem, and it states that Mullin “is likely to continue to advance the president's agenda but has struck a softer tone on some of the administration's most contentious policies.”

NPR reports that public perceptions of ICE during Lyons’ tenure were low, citing an “February AP-NORC poll” in which “most U.S. adults, including independents, said they have an unfavorable view of the agency.”