Former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons has joined Navigators Security and Defense as senior vice president for U.S. homeland security and international affairs. 

The company confirmed to NPR that Lyons will advise clients on "U.S. homeland defense strategy, interagency operations, and international security," the outlet reported Wednesday. 

The company told NPR it does not engage in lobbying activities and said Lyons is barred from engaging with the Department of Homeland Security for one year under federal law.

Navigators Security and Defense is a subsidiary of Navigators Global, a lobbying firm whose clients include General Motors, the New York Jets, and GEO Group, a private prison contractor that operates immigration detention centers across the country, including Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey.

"Lyons brings more than three decades of law enforcement leadership and military expertise in support of Navigators Security and Defense clientele," the company said.

Lyons served as ICE's acting director from March 2025 to May 2026, overseeing the agency during some of the Trump administration's most aggressive immigration enforcement operations.

During his tenure, ICE agents carried out high-profile enforcement actions in cities including Chicago and Minneapolis.

Lyons, who stepped down from his position with ICE last month, was succeeded by David Venturella, an ICE veteran who most recently worked for GEO Group in several roles, including senior vice president of client relations, before later serving as a paid consultant.

GEO Group has expanded its business during the Trump administration amid increased immigration enforcement efforts.

The company reported $254 million in income in 2025, a roughly 700% increase from 2024.

In a news release issued last month announcing first-quarter 2026 results, GEO Group Chairman George Zoley said 2025 "was the most successful period for new business wins in our Company's history."