Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday named new leadership for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more than two weeks after she demoted its acting director amid demands from President Trump to ramp up arrests and deportations. Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director for enforcement and removal operations, will serve as the acting director, succeeding Caleb Vitello, who Noem demoted. Madison Sheahan, secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will become acting deputy director, reports the Washington Post. Vitello was removed as acting director one month into his tenure after complaints from White House officials over lagging immigrant arrest numbers.
Despite his demotion, Vitello remained listed at the top of ICE’s leadership chart on Sunday and continued to appear at immigration raids wearing a ballistic vest. Noem described Lyons and Sheahan as “work horses” and “strong executors.” Noem said Lyons has a “long history” of working alongside Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan. “Adding more people to the team, with Todd and with Madison, is going to allow us to partner with local law enforcement officials to make sure that we truly are following through on enforcing the law, and if you break our law, then there’s going to be consequences,” she said. Lyons is a former assistant director of field operations for ICE’s enforcement and removal branch, overseeing the agency’s domestic operations and 25 field offices. He is responsible for a budget of $4.7 billion, and he oversees 7,600 employees. Sheahan is a former aide of Noem. In Louisiana, she oversaw a $280 million budget and 800 employees.