The contenders include one of Lyons’ own deputies, a former acting ICE director, and two senior advisers currently serving at DHS and the White House, according to eight people familiar with the internal discussions, including administration officials and others close to the Trump White House.
No clear frontrunner has emerged to take over the immigration enforcement agency, and people involved in the deliberations cautioned that President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin could ultimately select a candidate from outside the current pool. One administration official noted that being floated as a potential pick is not the same as being willing to serve, pointing to past instances in which candidates turned down the job, wary of the intense scrutiny and pressure that come with leading ICE.
The vacancy comes at a precarious moment for the agency. Immigration hardliners are watching the selection process closely, viewing it as a key test of the administration’s commitment to aggressive enforcement. Mark Krikorian, who leads the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank that supports restricting legal immigration, said the next director must have direct experience with removal operations and maintain a strong working relationship with White House border czar Tom Homan.
“If it’s someone he’s not getting along with, and not singing from the same songbook, it’s going to be a problem,” Krikorian said. Homan, who oversaw ICE early in Trump’s first term, is widely seen as a defender of the agency and a powerful gatekeeper for leadership appointments.
A High-Stakes Search for Steady Leadership
Lyons has served as acting ICE director for the past year, and his departure deprives the administration of a familiar hand atop an agency that has long been a lightning rod for political controversy. The search for his replacement is unfolding as ICE faces declining public approval and low morale among its workforce, challenges that any new director will have to confront immediately.
Among the names being discussed inside DHS are Lyons’ deputy, a former acting director who previously held the role, and two senior advisers currently working at the department and the White House. The people familiar with the talks spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations. They emphasized that the list remains fluid and that the administration could still consider candidates from outside the usual circles of immigration enforcement.
Whoever ultimately takes the job will inherit an agency under constant political pressure from both immigration hardliners demanding tougher enforcement and critics who accuse ICE of overreach. The next director will also have to navigate the fraught relationship between the White House, DHS leadership, and the rank and file at an agency where trust in senior management has eroded. For now, the succession race remains wide open, with no clear favorite and several potential contenders still weighing whether they want the job at all.
