Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), announced Thursday that he will step down at the end of May, a move that came hours after a contentious congressional hearing in which lawmakers sharply questioned agency policies, funding needs, and detention practices.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Lyons said it had been a "tremendous honor" to lead ICE but that he planned to leave to "spend more time with my family." He added, "This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one for me and my family at this time." His departure marks a leadership shift at a key agency tasked with carrying out the administration's mass deportation agenda.
