Noem Appoints New Leadership at ICE

The new leadership at ICE will play a role as the agency works to meet heightened enforcement.

In a move aimed at bolstering U.S. immigration enforcement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced new leadership for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday.

Data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reported by Reuters, reveals that during Trump's first month in office, 37,660 individuals were deported. This figure falls significantly short of the 57,000 deportations per month on average during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration.

To address these challenges and restore a sense of accountability within ICE, Noem appointed Todd Lyons as the acting director and Madison Sheahan as the deputy director.

Both have extensive experience in law enforcement and are expected to help shift the agency's focus back to aggressive deportation efforts.

"No more will ICE agents be hampered in their duties," Noem said in a statement. "For years under the Biden Administration, the agency’s ability to act was restricted. Todd and Madison bring a strong sense of responsibility and a results-driven approach that will ensure the agency meets its goal of targeting, arresting, and deporting individuals living in the U.S. illegally."

Lyons, who began his career in federal service with the U.S. Air Force in 1993, transitioned to law enforcement in Florida in 1999. He became an ICE agent in 2007, working with the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) unit in Dallas.

The new leadership at ICE will play a role as the agency works to meet the heightened enforcement expectations of the current administration.