ICE head Todd Lyons planning to leave agency this spring [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: April 16, 2026 / 7:58 PM EDT


Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is planning to leave the federal government later this spring, after leading the agency at the forefront of President Trump's deportation crackdown for over a year, two U.S. officials familiar with his plan told CBS News.

Lyons, a two-decade ICE veteran, told colleagues that he's planning to depart the agency in June to spend more time with family, including his sons, in Massachusetts, the officials said, requesting anonymity to discuss a move that has not been publicly announced. Lyons is expected to join the private sector after leaving ICE.

The expected departure will create a leadership void at the helm of an agency that has become a flashpoint over its central and highly visible role in Mr. Trump's nationwide operation to deport millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. It's not immediately clear who would replace Lyons. For nearly a decade, ICE has had a dozen acting directors, lacking a Senate-confirmed head since early 2017, at the end of the Obama administration. Lyons was named acting ICE director in March 2025.

Finding a successor for Lyons will also be one of the first major decisions for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who was confirmed by the Senate last month after Mr. Trump ousted Kristi Noem amid concerns about her leadership style and growing backlash to aggressive immigration enforcement operations in cities like Minneapolis.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/todd-lyons-ice-acting-director-leaving-agency/