John Morton, the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will leave his post at the end of July to take a position at a private company, ICE's office of public affairs said Monday.
Appointed by President Barack Obama in May 2009, he is the third and longest serving director in the agency's history, according to ICE.
Just four months ago, Morton oversaw the release of thousands of illegal immigrants onto the streets, hundreds of which have violent criminal records.
Morton's resignation in the middle of the illegal immigration debate on Capitol Hill is sure to cause a few headaches.