Todd Lyons, the acting chief of ICE, resigned from the agency on Thursday, submitting a letter of resignation to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and stating that he plans to remain in his position until May. Lyons will assist with the transition as Mullin begins his new role, having succeeded former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer,” Mullin said in a statement. “We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector.” The DHS boss did not provide any details as to why Lyons, who spent 20 years with DHS after joining the department in 2007, had decided to step away. Lyons was tapped to replace Caleb Vitello in March 2025.
Border Czar Tom Homan was said to be a close ally of Lyons, as they were more aligned in their deportation strategies compared to Governor Noem or former Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino. This differing perspective between the two camps sparked ongoing rumors of tension within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Mediaite reported.
Homan told NBC on Thursday that under Lyons’ leadership, “ICE achieved a record number of removals in the first year of this Administration, despite unprecedented challenges.” During Lyons’ tenure, the agency was responsible for some 584,000 deportations, a fraction of the more than 12 million illegals believed to have been allowed into the country under Joe Biden.
“I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests,” Homan said.
Trump adviser Stephen Miller, said to be the architect of the administration’s ambitious deportation agenda, added, “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.”
Earlier this week, Conservative Brief reported that the Trump administration has begun removing senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in five major U.S. cities and plans to replace some of them with senior Border Patrol agents who will oversee interior immigration enforcement in those regions.
ICE field office leaders in Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and San Diego were reassigned to other positions within the agency last Friday, the Washington Examiner added.
Last weekend, the Department of Homeland Security began restructuring its approach, albeit quietly, to the administration’s mass deportation initiative, aiming to increase arrest numbers and amplify the visibility of its high-profile enforcement campaign.
Three officials anticipate that the five cities will initiate a wider range of changes across ICE’s 24 field offices nationwide.
An official with direct knowledge of the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the overhaul extends well beyond the initial five locations. “It’s a lot more,” the official said.
Five sources confirmed the removal and reassignment of the directors from the five ICE field offices to various locations nationwide. According to those familiar with the matter, DHS initially planned to terminate all five officials but reversed course after Lyons objected, urging they be reassigned rather than dismissed, the outlet reported.
“The administration wanted all these guys fired, and Todd stepped in and said, ‘Let’s move them all to headquarters,’” a second official told the Examiner.
DHS Secretary Mullin holds final authority over personnel decisions at both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. The department declined to comment on his involvement in the recent staffing changes, the outlet reported.
Prior to Noem being replaced, there had been no schism between her and Homan, the latter of whom is aggressively carrying out the president’s deportation plans.