South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem announced that Charles Wall will serve as ICE’s deputy director effective immediately, replacing Madison Sheahan, who resigned to run for Congress in Ohio. Wall, an ICE attorney since 2012 who most recently served as Principal Legal Advisor, oversees more than 3,500 legal staff and is credited with supporting the agency’s focus on removing violent criminal noncitizens. The leadership change comes as ICE enforcement draws national attention amid protests after an ICE-involved fatal shooting in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Noem said Wall is a strategic choice to prioritize public safety and high-priority removals.
Kristi Noem Names Charles Wall As ICE Deputy Director Amid Leadership Shuffle
Noem names Charles Wall ICE deputy director following Sheahan resignation
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem announced via X that veteran U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney Charles Wall has been named the agency’s new deputy director, effective immediately.
Noem wrote, "Effective immediately, Charles Wall will serve as the Deputy Director of @ICEGov." She noted that Wall spent the past year as ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor and played a central role in the administration’s efforts to prioritize the arrest and removal of what she described as the "worst of the worst" criminal noncitizens from U.S. communities.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that Charles Wall will serve as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deputy director.(Getty Images)
Wall succeeds Madison Sheahan, who resigned earlier Thursday to launch a congressional campaign in Ohio. Sheahan’s departure leaves ICE leadership in transition at a moment when enforcement operations have faced increasing resistance and reported threats to officers in the field.
Experience and Role
ICE officials say Wall has worked at the agency since 2012 and has 14 years of service as an ICE attorney. As Principal Legal Advisor he oversaw the agency’s legal office — more than 3,500 attorneys and support staff who represent the Department of Homeland Security in removal proceedings and advise senior leadership.
Madison Sheahan stepped down as ICE deputy director on Thursday.
Noem described Wall as a "forward-leaning, strategic thinker" who understands the importance of prioritizing the removal of violent offenders, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and suspected terrorists.
Context And Reaction
The appointment comes as federal immigration enforcement has been emphasized by Republican leaders and as ICE operations have drawn national attention following protests in Minneapolis after an ICE-involved fatal shooting on Jan. 7 that left 37-year-old Renee Good dead. Administration and agency officials have reiterated that ICE will focus on high-priority criminal noncitizens while warning that local resistance and political opposition can raise risks for officers carrying out enforcement duties.
DHS has described the appointment as part of a broader effort to ensure ICE leadership is aligned with the Trump administration’s public safety priorities.
ICE has also published a landing page highlighting priority removal cases, listing names and nationalities of offenders the agency says it is focused on removing.
Noem concluded her post saying, "I look forward to working with him in his new role to make America safe again." ICE did not immediately provide additional comment to Fox News Digital.
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