On Sunday, the Secretary of Homeland Security unveiled fresh leadership within the agency responsible for immigration enforcement and vowed to increase lie detector tests to catch insiders leaking operational details to the press. The announcement accompanied a pledge to fully utilize the breadth of authority available under Homeland Security to ensure adherence to the law, safeguard citizens, and fulfill President Trump’s immigration plans, as discussed on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Polygraph tests, although often inadmissible in court, are commonly employed by federal law enforcement agencies and for assessing national security credentials. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, affirmed this approach, underscoring the department’s status as a national security entity and stating, “We can, should, and will polygraph personnel.”
The White House had previously conveyed its dissatisfaction with the speed of deportations, attributing some delays to recent disclosures that revealed targeted cities for these operations. The new leadership appointments within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly underlining the administration’s commitment to advancing the president’s deportation initiatives, were announced less than two months into Trump’s presidency.
Todd Lyons, the former assistant director of field operations within the agency’s enforcement branch, will take on the role of acting ICE director. Joining him as deputy director is Madison Sheahan, who previously served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and as an aide to Noem during her gubernatorial tenure in South Dakota.
These leadership changes follow the reassignment of ICE’s acting director on February 21. Earlier, on February 11, two other high-ranking immigration enforcement officials were similarly reassigned, reflecting the Trump administration’s discontent with the current progress of immigration arrests.
In addition, Noem revealed on Friday that the agency had pinpointed and intends to prosecute two individuals responsible for leaking sensitive information. She elaborated on Sunday that these individuals had disclosed details about planned enforcement actions in several cities, thereby exposing vulnerabilities. The leaks have legal consequences, with those involved potentially facing up to 10 years in federal prison.
