Madison Sheahan, the 28-year-old deputy director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a close ally of President Donald Trump, has announced her resignation to run for Congress in Ohio. The self-described “Trump conservative” declared her candidacy in a video on Thursday, citing the agency’s expansion under her tenure.
Sheahan said ICE had recruited 12,000 officers and deported 2.5 million people in just one year. Her target is the Ohio congressional district currently represented by Democrat Marcy Kaptur, who narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than one percentage point. The district is one of only 13 nationwide that Trump carried in 2024 while a Democrat also won, and is now considered a toss-up.
Despite having no law enforcement experience, Sheahan was appointed to the senior ICE role in March during a major reorganisation of the agency. Under her leadership, ICE recorded its deadliest year since 2004, with 32 deaths in custody. The agency has faced protests after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer last week. Trump responded by threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
Before joining the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem, Sheahan served as secretary of Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries department. She previously worked for Noem in South Dakota as political director and executive director of the state Republican party. In a message to staff, Sheahan said serving at ICE had been “the honour of my life” and thanked Trump and Noem.
