Madison Sheahan, the 28-year-old deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has made a significant career pivot by announcing her resignation to run for Congress in Ohio.
Sheahan, appointed to her ICE role in March 2025 under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, informed leadership of her departure, as reported exclusively by the Daily Mail, with a formal announcement expected later Thursday morning.
Her resignation comes amid a turbulent period for ICE, marked by nationwide protests over a crackdown on unauthorized migration and a DHS Inspector General investigation into hiring and training practices.
A farewell email obtained by the Daily Mail confirmed her exit, in which she praised President Trump and Secretary Noem for their support of ICE’s mission.
Sheahan, previously the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, earned the nickname “Fish Cop” among ICE insiders, a jab at her unconventional background for federal law enforcement.
Sources within the agency described her as a divisive figure, with one insider telling the Daily Mail, “Most feared her because she had many employees reassigned, but few respected her.”
Her close ties to Kristi Noem and Noem’s senior adviser Corey Lewandowski positioned her as a key ally in a department already strained by internal rivalries. Reports suggest a power struggle between Noem and Trump border czar Tom Homan, with Homan pushing for aggressive deportation policies while viewing Noem’s approach as overly cautious and political. Sheahan’s exit could signal a weakening of Noem’s influence at ICE, especially under White House pressure to ramp up enforcement numbers.
Adding fuel to the fire, an insider claimed Sheahan was absent during recent unrest in Minnesota, allegedly in Ohio, filming campaign videos. If true, that’s a glaring misstep for a leader in a crisis moment. It raises questions about commitment when the agency she led faces public and internal scrutiny.
ICE’s recent enforcement actions have drawn fierce criticism, with protests erupting across the country over what many see as heavy-handed tactics. On January 7, a demonstration in Minneapolis turned tragic when protester Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by ICE officer Jon Ross. Near-daily footage of agents clashing with demonstrators, including an incident in Santa Ana, California, where a 21-year-old lost his sight to a nonlethal round, has only deepened public outrage.
A poll cited by the Daily Mail shows 46% of respondents favor abolishing ICE entirely, with 12% undecided—a stark indicator of the agency’s polarizing image.
The DHS Office of Inspector General launched an investigation in August into whether ICE’s rush to hire 10,000 new agents compromised vetting and training standards.
With inspectors set to visit the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia next week, the audit could take months, but it may issue urgent management alerts if critical flaws are found.
One source told the Daily Mail about recruitment concerns, saying, “They're offering $50,000 incentives for people to sign up, dropping their vetting and fitness standards, and then not training them well.”
Sheahan’s departure isn’t just about her congressional ambitions; it’s tangled up in the broader clash between Noem and Homan over ICE’s future. Homan’s allies reportedly see him as the driving force for enforcement-first policies, while Noem’s more public-facing style has lost ground among agents and DHS officials. Sheahan, appointed under Noem to serve directly under ICE Director Todd Lyons—a Homan ally—may have been caught in the crossfire of this bureaucratic tug-of-war.
Despite the internal drama, Noem offered strong backing for Sheahan’s next chapter, stating on Thursday, “Madison Sheahan is a workhorse, strong executor, and terrific leader who led the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people's mandate to target, arrest, and deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Sheahan herself, in her farewell email, painted a rosy picture of her tenure, declaring a strengthened agency with a renewed purpose.
