Trump's acting ICE chief to step down after deadly Minneapolis crackdown and DHS turmoil
Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, plans to step down in May, according to The New York Times.
"In a letter to Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, Mr. Lyons said that it had been a 'tremendous honor' to lead the agency, but that he had decided to leave to 'spend more time with my family,'" said the report.
Lyons emphasized that “My sons are both reaching a pivotal point in their lives, and my wife and I wish to spend as much time as possible with them. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one for me and my family at this time.”
This comes after Trump has made a series of shakeups at the Department of Homeland Security amid nationwide backlash and sinking approval for his immigration policy.
Most notably, Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino was reassigned and moved to retire after the disastrous federal occupation of Minneapolis known as Operation Metro Surge, in which federal agents killed two civilian protesters, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens.
ICE was accused of violating at least 96 court orders in Minnesota and Secretary Kristi Noem herself was shortly fired amid a spending controversy.