ICE Powerhouse Madison Sheahan Shakes Up Ohio Politics, Takes On Democrat Kaptur

Paul Riverbank, 1/16/2026Madison Sheahan leaves ICE leadership to challenge Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th, signaling shifting district politics and growing influence of Trump-era officials in Congress. ICE leadership changes underscore a renewed focus on enforcement amid national scrutiny.

Sheahan’s story is, in some ways, classic Midwest—rooted in Curtice, a proud alumna of Genoa Area High, she followed her public affairs studies at Ohio State with a career that veered into some of the country’s thorniest policy fights. By the time she took the reins at ICE, the staff was expanding, mission shifting. Her leadership helped nudge the agency’s ranks from 20,000 to 30,000, a number critics and fans interpret differently depending on which side of the immigration debate you catch them.

Now, as she squares up for a run against Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Sheahan faces a political veteran who has been in Congress since before some of today’s campaign managers were born. The 2024 results were razor-thin—Kaptur edged Republican Derek Merrin by a few hundred votes, landing at just 48.3 percent. In politics, margins that slim are rarely ignored.

Sheahan’s launch isn’t coy. Her campaign website opens with a blunt appeal: “No Excuses. Let’s Get It Done.” If ever there was a slogan to echo her federal enforcement years, that might be it. She frames her platform around a fistful of promises—protecting jobs, boosting wages, and shoring up what she dubs “American values” in a district long seen as a bellwether for shifting political winds. Longstanding politicians, she argues, have grown “comfortable with the swamp,” a clear shot at Kaptur’s remarkable tenure. “President Trump deserves a Congress that stands firmly behind his agenda,” Sheahan wrote in her announcement, adding that she wants to make America “safer, more affordable, and more prosperous.” Those priorities—familiar refrains in today’s Republican conversations—land differently coming from a steel-eyed former ICE executive with a history of getting federal agents moving.

The list of Sheahan’s allies reads like a who’s who of Trump-era policymaking. Kristi Noem, the current Secretary of Homeland Security, publicly praised Sheahan’s leadership style and commitment to what she defined as freedom’s defense. “She’s a work horse, strong executor, and terrific leader who led the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest, and deport criminal illegal aliens,” Noem commented, her endorsement as much a reflection on ICE’s new crop of leaders as anything else.

ICE, for its part, didn’t miss a beat in filling Sheahan’s old chair. Charles Wall, who started as agency counsel in New Orleans over a decade ago and most recently ran a legal office overseeing thousands, was tapped to step up as Deputy Director. Wall’s focus—public safety and prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminal offenders—mirrors the direction Noem has been touting. A day after Sheahan’s announcement, Wall’s appointment was sealed, signaling a desire to keep agency priorities steady despite political headwinds.

That steadiness, however, is being tested. In recent months, ICE has faced loud criticism from local leaders, especially in the wake of controversial enforcement actions. Protests flared in Minneapolis after an ICE operation led to the fatal shooting of Renee Good, sparking renewed debates about enforcement tactics and oversight. The agency has responded in part by posting public lists of what it brands the “worst of the worst”—hoping, perhaps, to underscore a focus on targeting truly dangerous offenders even as it operates in a politically charged atmosphere.

Sheahan’s move is just the latest signal that loyalists from the Trump administration may be eyeing their own electoral bids as national races heat up toward 2026. For Ohio’s 9th, that translates to a contest where both the past and the future of America’s immigration debate could be on the ballot, with two starkly different visions vying for control of a district perched at the edge of political change. Whether voters are ready to close the book on a long-serving representative, though, remains an open—and surprisingly suspenseful—question.

Madison Sheahan has never been one to quietly fade into the background. So, when word spread on Thursday morning that she’d be leaving her post as Deputy Director of ICE, the corridors of the agency buzzed with speculation. Before the day had ended, Sheahan herself put the rumors to bed: she’s launching a campaign for Congress in Ohio’s 9th District, a stretch of the state running from the Detroit suburbs down toward Indiana farmland.Sheahan’s story is, in some ways, classic Midwest—rooted in Curtice, a proud alumna of Genoa Area High, she followed her public affairs studies at Ohio State with a career that veered into some of the country’s thorniest policy fights. By the time she took the reins at ICE, the staff was expanding, mission shifting. Her leadership helped nudge the agency’s ranks from 20,000 to 30,000, a number critics and fans interpret differently depending on which side of the immigration debate you catch them.Now, as she squares up for a run against Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Sheahan faces a political veteran who has been in Congress since before some of today’s campaign managers were born. The 2024 results were razor-thin—Kaptur edged Republican Derek Merrin by a few hundred votes, landing at just 48.3 percent. In politics, margins that slim are rarely ignored.Sheahan’s launch isn’t coy. Her campaign website opens with a blunt appeal: “No Excuses. Let’s Get It Done.” If ever there was a slogan to echo her federal enforcement years, that might be it. She frames her platform around a fistful of promises—protecting jobs, boosting wages, and shoring up what she dubs “American values” in a district long seen as a bellwether for shifting political winds. Longstanding politicians, she argues, have grown “comfortable with the swamp,” a clear shot at Kaptur’s remarkable tenure. “President Trump deserves a Congress that stands firmly behind his agenda,” Sheahan wrote in her announcement, adding that she wants to make America “safer, more affordable, and more prosperous.” Those priorities—familiar refrains in today’s Republican conversations—land differently coming from a steel-eyed former ICE executive with a history of getting federal agents moving.The list of Sheahan’s allies reads like a who’s who of Trump-era policymaking. Kristi Noem, the current Secretary of Homeland Security, publicly praised Sheahan’s leadership style and commitment to what she defined as freedom’s defense. “She’s a work horse, strong executor, and terrific leader who led the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest, and deport criminal illegal aliens,” Noem commented, her endorsement as much a reflection on ICE’s new crop of leaders as anything else.ICE, for its part, didn’t miss a beat in filling Sheahan’s old chair. Charles Wall, who started as agency counsel in New Orleans over a decade ago and most recently ran a legal office overseeing thousands, was tapped to step up as Deputy Director. Wall’s focus—public safety and prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminal offenders—mirrors the direction Noem has been touting. A day after Sheahan’s announcement, Wall’s appointment was sealed, signaling a desire to keep agency priorities steady despite political headwinds.That steadiness, however, is being tested. In recent months, ICE has faced loud criticism from local leaders, especially in the wake of controversial enforcement actions. Protests flared in Minneapolis after an ICE operation led to the fatal shooting of Renee Good, sparking renewed debates about enforcement tactics and oversight. The agency has responded in part by posting public lists of what it brands the “worst of the worst”—hoping, perhaps, to underscore a focus on targeting truly dangerous offenders even as it operates in a politically charged atmosphere.Sheahan’s move is just the latest signal that loyalists from the Trump administration may be eyeing their own electoral bids as national races heat up toward 2026. For Ohio’s 9th, that translates to a contest where both the past and the future of America’s immigration debate could be on the ballot, with two starkly different visions vying for control of a district perched at the edge of political change. Whether voters are ready to close the book on a long-serving representative, though, remains an open—and surprisingly suspenseful—question.