Madison Sheahan, the 28-year-old deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is resigning from the agency to run for Congress in her home state of Ohio. Sheahan has served as ICE’s second-in-command since March 2025.
It was a period marked by an aggressive expansion of immigration enforcement under pressure from President Donald Trump.
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Sheahan launches campaign
In a post on X announcing her run, Sheahan described herself as “a Trump conservative running for Congress to protect American jobs, American paychecks, and American values.“ The post links to her campaign website, which features a roughly two-minute introductory video.
In the video, Sheahan leans heavily on her work at ICE, claiming that under the current administration the agency has recruited more than 12,000 new officers and agents and deported more than 2.5 million undocumented immigrants.
“Ohio neighborhoods are safer thanks to President Trump and ICE,“ she says.
The video highlights Sheahan’s upbringing on her family’s farm, framing it as a source of toughness and work ethic. She goes on to sharply criticize Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, accusing the longtime incumbent of opposing the border wall and supporting housing and health care access for immigrants.
Backing from DHS leadership
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed to CBS News that Sheahan is leaving ICE to seek elected office, praising her leadership and record.
“Madison Sheahan is a work horse, 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,” Noem said.
Noem noted she has known Sheahan for years. Before joining ICE, Sheahan served as Noem’s political director for nearly three years when Noem was governor of South Dakota. Sheahan later worked as Louisiana’s secretary of Fish and Wildlife before taking the deputy director role at ICE.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that ICE attorney Charles Wall will succeed Madison Sheahan as deputy director.
Questions inside the agency
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sheahan’s rapid rise inside ICE raised eyebrows among some career officials. The Journal notes she had no previous law enforcement background and was accused by some within the agency of issuing direct operational orders and, at times, sidelining ICE Director Todd Lyons.
The report also said Sheahan was not visibly present during the recent ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, which led to violent clashes, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good and a separate ICE-involved shooting earlier this week.
Crowded Ohio race ahead
Sheahan is entering a competitive Republican primary in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. It includes Toledo and Sandusky in the northwestern part of the state. She will face state Rep. Josh Williams and former state lawmaker Derek Merrin, who lost to Kaptur in 2024.
Trump carried the district by seven points over Kamala Harris. The primary is scheduled for May 5.
Kaptur campaign responds
Kaptur, who has represented the district since 1982, is the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress. Her campaign quickly pushed back on Sheahan’s candidacy.
Campaign manager Kegan Zimmerman told The Washington Post that voters are frustrated by “the self-dealing corruption and culture of lawlessness they’ve seen over the last year” and want a results-driven leader.
