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ICE Acting Director Lyons Hospitalized Twice for Stress

Published 27 March 2026

Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons has been hospitalized at least twice in the past seven months for stress-related issues while overseeing the agency's expanded enforcement efforts under President Donald Trump, according to multiple current and former administration officials. The White House has strongly disputed the accounts, defending Lyons' leadership and describing his relationships with senior officials as collaborative.

The incidents, which occurred amid efforts to increase deportations, included an overnight admission in Washington in December, where Lyons was driven to the hospital by his security detail, officials said. Another episode in September resulted in at least a one-night stay. In a separate event over the summer in Los Angeles, Lyons became distressed during an enforcement operation when agents could not locate a targeted migrant following a ride-along with senior officials. His face reportedly turned red and he began sweating heavily, prompting a bodyguard to retrieve a portable defibrillator from a nearby government office as a precaution.

Officials attributed the strain to intense pressure to meet the administration's...

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