ICE chief defends his officers’ actions before Congress after the deaths of 2 protesters

ICE Director Defends Controversial Immigration Enforcement Tactics in Congressional Hearing

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons delivered a defiant message to critics during a Congressional hearing Tuesday, vowing that his agency would not be deterred from implementing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans despite mounting controversy.

“Let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us. You will fail,” Lyons declared before the House Committee on Homeland Security, placing blame on elected officials and protesters for what he described as escalating rhetoric endangering his officers. “We are only getting started,” he added in his opening remarks.

The three-and-a-half-hour hearing marked the first joint Congressional appearance of the Trump administration’s top immigration enforcement officials since the Department of Homeland Security received significant funding increases last summer. Lyons was joined by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) head Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow.

The testimony came at a particularly tense moment, following the controversial shooting deaths of two American citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, by federal immigration officers. These incidents have sparked nationwide protests and increased scrutiny of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement approach.

CBP’s Scott echoed Lyons’ defensive stance, claiming officers face “an unprecedented level of aggressive interference and intimidation” while performing their duties. He characterized opposition to federal immigration operations as “coordinated and well-funded.”

Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage during the heated exchanges. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democratic member, called the hearing the “start of a reckoning” and argued that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be held accountable. Thompson criticized the department for blocking lawmakers from visiting detention facilities and failing to respond adequately to Congressional inquiries.

“Every American should be outraged,” Thompson stated.

Republicans largely defended the administration’s approach, praising Trump for what they characterized as sealing the U.S.-Mexico border and ending “lawlessness” in the immigration system. They frequently redirected attention to the Biden administration’s border policies, which they blamed for allowing unprecedented numbers of migrants to enter the country.

One notable flashpoint in the hearing concerned the use of masks by immigration officers during enforcement operations. When Rep. Tim Kennedy, a Democrat from New York, asked if Lyons would commit to making officers remove their masks during operations, Lyons responded with a firm “No,” prompting Kennedy to call the response “sad.”

In a rare moment of Republican criticism of the administration’s tactics, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas suggested that Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino had contributed to escalating tensions, particularly in Minneapolis. “I would argue, in fairness, that he escalated the situation,” McCaul said, though he praised Trump’s decision to send border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to assume control after the Pretti shooting.

Under Bovino’s leadership, Border Patrol agents had conducted operations in multiple cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and New Orleans, facing accusations of indiscriminately targeting individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.

The testimony comes at a critical juncture as ICE undergoes what Lyons described as a “massive hiring boom” and deploys reinforced operations across the country to increase arrests and deportations. Democratic lawmakers in Congress have demanded restraints on immigration officers before agreeing to fund the Department of Homeland Security, with current funding set to expire at the end of the week.

Both Scott and Lyons confirmed that thousands of officers are now equipped with body cameras, with more to come – one area where there appears to be some bipartisan agreement. Secretary Noem announced last week that every DHS officer in Minneapolis would immediately receive body cameras, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding becomes available.

As the administration pushes forward with its immigration agenda, public support has been declining amid growing concerns about tactics and accountability, particularly following the deaths of Pretti and Good. The hearing underscored the deep political divisions surrounding immigration enforcement that show no signs of resolution as the administration vows to intensify its efforts.