Todd Lyons, the former acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has accepted a role with a defense contractor. Lyons is now the senior vice president for U.S. homeland security and international affairs at Navigators Security and Defense. This decision follows Lyons’ leadership during challenging times at ICE.

Navigators Security and Defense confirmed the hire, emphasizing that the organization does not participate in lobbying activities. Due to federal regulations, Lyons cannot engage with the Department of Homeland Security for a year. The subsidiary of Navigators Global, a lobbying firm, works with various clients, including General Motors, the New York Jets, and GEO Group. The latter operates immigration detention centers, such as Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J.

Lyons has a career spanning over three decades in law enforcement and military roles. He led ICE from March 2025 to May 2026 during a particularly volatile period. Under his direction, ICE faced significant pressure from the Trump administration to meet a 3,000-person daily arrest quota. This goal remained unmet despite aggressive tactics, including arrests made within immigration courts. Lyons resigned last month and was succeeded by David Venturella, a former senior vice president at GEO Group.

GEO Group has experienced significant financial growth, largely attributed to its connections with the Trump administration. In 2025, the company reported $254 million in income, marking a 700% increase from the previous year. George Zoley, GEO Group Chairman, highlighted 2025 as the most profitable in the company’s history for securing new business.