ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan Resigns to Run for Congress in Ohio’s 9th District
ICE deputy director Madison Sheahan resigned to launch a Republican campaign against long‑serving Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. Sheahan is positioning herself as a pro‑Trump, "No Excuses. Let’s Get It Done." candidate who has attacked Kaptur as a career politician; her campaign rollout was publicized via an Axios leak and includes an on‑the‑record endorsement from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem tying her to Trump’s enforcement priorities. ICE materials touted her record as overseeing growth from roughly 20,000 employees and a $10 billion budget to about 30,000 employees and an $85 billion organization, claiming she helped hire 12,000 officers in 180 days.
📌 Key Facts
- Madison Sheahan resigned from her role as ICE deputy director in mid-January 2026 to launch a Republican campaign for Congress.
- Sheahan is running in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District against long‑serving Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
- Her campaign slogan and initial messaging is “No Excuses. Let’s Get It Done.”, positioning her as a no‑excuses, pro‑Trump candidate.
- Sheahan frames her run as backing President Trump’s agenda and attacks Kaptur as a “career politician” who is “comfortable with the swamp.”
- Fox News published an on‑the‑record endorsement quote from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem praising Sheahan and explicitly tying her to Trump’s enforcement priorities.
- ICE’s internal portrayal of Sheahan’s tenure credits her with expanding the agency from roughly 20,000 employees and a $10 billion budget to about 30,000 employees and an $85 billion organization, and claims she oversaw hiring 12,000 new officers in 180 days.
- Axios highlighted that the campaign rollout was revealed through high‑profile Axios coverage/leaks, tying Sheahan’s ICE record directly to her political pitch.
📊 Relevant Data
Latinos accounted for nine out of ten Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests during the first six months of 2025, despite comprising about 46% of the undocumented population in the US.
UCLA Report Finds Latino Arrests by ICE Have Skyrocketed Under the Trump Administration’s Second Term — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Black migrants make up 5.4% of the undocumented population in the US but account for 20.3% of migrants facing deportation proceedings as of 2025.
Black Undocumented Migrants Face Far Higher Deportation Rates — Capital B News
Ohio's 9th Congressional District had a population of 776,106 in 2022, with racial composition approximately 75.3% White, 12.4% Black, 8.2% Hispanic or Latino, and 1.8% Asian.
Congressional District 9, OH - Profile data — Census Reporter
Mass deportation policies are projected to reduce US GDP growth from 2.1% to 1.5% in 2025, with potential losses of $60 billion to $110 billion in consumer spending over 2025-2026 due to reduced immigrant labor and migration.
U.S. lost more immigrants than it gained in 2025, new estimate shows — The Washington Post
Heightened immigration enforcement in 2025 has led to job losses for both immigrant and US-born workers, particularly in construction and child care sectors, with empirical research showing reduced employment in affected communities.
Trump's deportation agenda will destroy millions of jobs — Economic Policy Institute
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms timing and framing of Sheahan’s resignation specifically as the launch of a Republican campaign against Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th District.
- Reiterates that Sheahan is positioning herself as a no‑excuses, pro‑Trump candidate and attacking Kaptur as a career politician.
- Underscores that her campaign is being rolled out through a high‑profile Axios leak/coverage, tying her ICE record to her political pitch.
- Confirms Sheahan is specifically running in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District against long‑serving Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
- Provides Sheahan’s initial campaign messaging and slogan: 'No Excuses. Let’s Get It Done.'
- Includes a detailed statement from Sheahan framing her run as backing President Trump’s agenda and criticizing Kaptur as a 'career politician' 'comfortable with the swamp.'
- Adds an on‑the‑record endorsement quote from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem praising Sheahan and explicitly tying her to Trump’s enforcement priorities.
- Details ICE’s internal portrayal of her tenure: expansion from roughly 20,000 employees and a $10 billion budget to about 30,000 employees and an $85 billion organization, and claim that she oversaw hiring 12,000 new officers in 180 days.