ICE Barbie’s pick for deputy director is dubbed “Fish Cop” in a New York Magazine exposé that slams her law enforcement résumé.
Twenty-eight-year-old Madison D. Sheahan was appointed to a leadership role at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, alongside Todd Lyons, who was named as acting director.
While Lyons had a long career at ICE before his appointment, Sheahan previously served as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. This role reportedly earned her the “Fish Cop” nickname amongst ICE officials.
“I absolutely think I’m qualified for the job,” Sheahan told New York Magazine. “Because at the end of the day, what really makes anybody qualified for any job?”
As deputy director, Sheahan leads over 20,000 employees and administers an annual budget of greater than $9 billion. In her previous role as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, she oversaw a $280 million budget and led a team of over 800 employees.
Previous deputy directors such as Tae D. Johnson and Patrick Lechleitner had substantial law enforcement experience before taking on the role.
“Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens,” said Kristi Noem in a statement following Sheahan’s appointment.
According to her biography, Sheahan previously worked for Kristi Noem during Noem’s tenure as governor of South Dakota. “She genuinely believes she was called to serve by God,” Sheahan said of Noem.
New York Magazine reported that the two top ICE women grew close enough to consider each other friends, with Sheahan sharing a personal anecdote about the Homeland Security Secretary.
Sheahan recalled a time when Noem invited her to run a half-marathon. During the race, Sheahan asked if Noem wanted a Gatorade, and when Noem said ‘yes,’ she stopped at the hydration table, only to watch Noem run ahead and beat her.
“She’s gonna have fun. She’s gonna do her job. But she’s gonna win, too,” the ICE deputy director said.
It’s not all rave reviews for Noem. Former DHS contractor Matt Strickland told New York Magazine, “Corey Lewandowski is running DHS. Kristi Noem is just the face of it.”
New York Magazine further explains that Lewandowski—often referred to as a chief adviser to the secretary, though officially a special government employee—and Noem have been rumored to be romantically involved, a claim both have denied. The article also highlights how Lewandowski’s influence is reportedly widespread within the department.
“The culture over there is terrible,” one former DHS official noted.
“I understand that everyone wants to poke holes and say we aren’t perfect, and we aren’t,” said Sheahan about the agency. “But we’ll never know how much ICE prevented — the number of kids that we’ve saved and families that we’ve saved,” she added.
According to a senior Homeland Security official, ICE has deported nearly 200,000 people in the first seven months of President Donald Trump’s administration.
“For the most part, every entity in ICE reports to me,” Sheahan said about her work.
“The entire team at the Department of Homeland Security is working to successfully execute on the President’s agenda and the results speak for themselves,” said a White House spokeswoman when contacted by the Daily Beast for comment regarding Sheahan’s qualifications.
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