A report by Politico claims that acting ICE chief Todd Lyons is under so much stress that he was hospitalized twice in seven months.

Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is not feeling well because of the pressure the administration is putting on him, Politico reported, citing sources. Politico, citing sources, reported that Lyons had been hospitalized twice in the past seven months. In one incident in December, according to one former and two current administration officials, Lyons’ security detail drove him to a hospital in Washington and was admitted overnight. Daniel Lipman reports that during an episode in September, three people said Lyons was hospitalized for at least one night. Sources told POLITICO about one particular incident where Lyons became so distressed when ICE agents could not locate a migrant on their target list in Los Angeles that one of his bodyguards carried a portable defibrillator from a nearby government office to Lyons in case he needed medical intervention.

Stephen Miller yells at Lyons

The report said officers noticed that Lyons began to sweat when under extreme stress and his face turned dark red. Stephen Miller, the architect of the Donald Trump administration’s anti-immigration blueprint, yelled at Lyons during a morning phone call with administration officials. The report also cited officers who defended Miller and said he did not yell at Lyons, but was merely emotional. One of the former executives said, referring to Lyons, “He will clearly be troubled and struggling to make the decisions the director needs to make.” A current official and two former officials also said that Lyons often took a long time to make decisions, leaving his representatives with more work to do.

Lyons says tension has nothing to do with the White House

Lyons released a statement in which he attributed his stress to his work and the White House. “Since the beginning of this administration, I have worked night and day, all day, every day, to undo the damage that Joe Biden has done to the American people,” he said. “Any stress is in no way related to pressure from the White House, and will not interfere with my doing my job.” He did not mention his two reported hospitalizations in 2025.