President Trump Picks New Acting ICE Chief After Todd Lyons’ Departure

President Trump has chosen longtime ICE official Dave Venturella to temporarily lead the agency.

This follows former interim ICE Chief Todd Lyon’s resignation last month.

Fox News confirmed the news:

NEW: Dave Venturella is expected to be named the next Acting Director of ICE, replacing Todd Lyons, multiple sources say.

Venturella has been working in the Trump administration as an ICE senior advisor. He was recruited with help from Tom Homan after President Trump was… pic.twitter.com/X9CPVdA29w

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 13, 2026

I’m told by sources familiar this is correct, Dave Venturella will be the new Acting Director of ICE. Details on him 👇🏻 https://t.co/9UcsRnYgUx

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 12, 2026

Todd Lyons will remain as acting ICE Chief until the end of the month, at which point Venturella will take over.

Dave Venturella is an experienced immigration official who served in the DHS under both Bush and Obama.

Border Czar Tom Homan brought him back to serve underneath President Trump.

🚨 BREAKING: Trump is bringing in ICE LEGEND David Venturella as Acting Director!

40-year deportation warrior.

Ex-Acting Director of Removal Operations.

The guy who helped build the LARGEST detention & deportation machine in U.S. history with 30% capacity surge already… pic.twitter.com/SNnQKPOR0B

— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) May 12, 2026

BREAKING: Trump is bringing in ICE LEGEND David Venturella as Acting Director!

40-year deportation warrior.

Ex-Acting Director of Removal Operations.

The guy who helped build the LARGEST detention & deportation machine in U.S. history with 30% capacity surge already underway.

Working hand-in-glove with Tom Homan & Stephen Miller.

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Quiet, ruthless efficiency while the media melts down over his GEO Group experience?

Do you think Mass Deportations are BACK ON?!

CBS News has more on his background:

Venturella has worked at ICE under Republican and Democratic administrations, and rejoined the agency last year, after President Trump returned to the White House.

Before rejoining ICE, Venturella worked at GEO Group, one of the main for-profit prison companies that operates immigration detention centers across the U.S.

Venturella — who also worked at the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS —is considered an ally of White House border czar Tom Homan. His expected appointment was first reported by The New York Times earlier Tuesday.