Noem announces new ICE acting chief after predecessor reassigned

Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new acting chief of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, just weeks after the agency's previous director was reassigned.

Todd Lyons, the former assistant director of field operations for ICE’s enforcement arm, will serve as the acting director for the agency. Noem also tapped Madison Sheahan, her former aide as governor of South Dakota, to be the agency’s deputy director.

"Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens," Noem said in a statement, according to Fox News.

Lyons served in the Air Force before becoming a law enforcement officer in Florida, then joined ICE as an agent in Dallas, Texas, in 2007. As assistant director of field operations for Enforcement and Removal Operations, he oversaw all 25 field offices and domestic operations across the U.S., Fox News reported.

Sheahan was, until her latest appointment, the secretary of Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The agency's previous acting director, Caleb Vitello, was reassigned on Feb. 21, amid reported frustration within the Trump administration about the pace of immigration arrests and deportations.

A DHS spokesperson said at the time: “He is no longer in an administrative role, but is overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and the Secretary Noem."

ICE raids have occurred in various communities across the country since the start of the Trump administration, with Noem and immigration czar Tom Homan making frequent appearances on Fox News touting the enforcement actions.

Yet the number of monthly deportations is lower than what it was during the last year of the Biden administration.

On CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Noem said DHS had identified two “criminal leakers” within its organization, and referred them to the Department of Justice for felony prosecutions.

"Anyone who is leaking information outside of how something is planned for the safety of those law enforcement officers needs to be held accountable for that," Noem said. 

The ex-governor has pledged to set up lie detector tests on employees to figure out who is leaking to the media.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the department “can, should, and will polygraph personnel,” the AP reported.

The Hill has reached out to DHS about the new ICE leaders.