ICE Head Slams Dem-Led ‘Political Rhetoric,’ Media Spin Endangering Agents

Anti-ICE protests and the spread of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions are crippling federal immigration enforcement, forcing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to divert critical personnel and scale back operations, Acting Director Todd Lyons told The Washington Times in an exclusive interview.

Lyons laid blame squarely on Democratic politicians and the left-wing media, accusing them of using “inflammatory rhetoric” that has fueled hatred, violence, and misinformation against ICE officers.

“Only that rhetoric is what’s stoking that fear,” Lyons said. “There’s no proven evidence that ICE will go out and arrest the victim. That just won’t happen.”

In the wide-ranging discussion, Lyons defended ICE’s mission under President Donald J. Trump, emphasizing that the agency is focused on national security, criminal enforcement, and the protection of vulnerable children — not political posturing or the harassment of law-abiding citizens.

Sanctuary Policies Undermining Public Safety

Lyons was especially critical of Democrat-run sanctuary cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Those policies, he argued, have emboldened criminal aliens while tying the hands of law enforcement.

He warned that these political decisions create chaos on the ground:

“We’re being accused of, ‘Oh, you’re going to schools and rounding up children,’” he said. “All we’re trying to do is locate these poor kids. And that’s the last known address we have.”

According to Lyons, ICE agents are often dispatched near schools not to detain children, but to locate unaccompanied migrant minors who were released into the United States under the Biden administration — many of whom have since disappeared.

The Fallout From Biden’s Border Disaster

During Biden’s presidency, roughly half a million unaccompanied alien children (UACs) crossed the border, with most released to sponsors. In the rush to process arrivals, vetting collapsed — putting countless children in harm’s way.

An Inspector General report found that the federal government lost track of 300,000 migrant children and mishandled at least 65,000 reports of abuse or neglect. Lyons confirmed that under the Trump administration, ICE and partner agencies are working to locate and reunite as many of those children as possible.

“And then you go there, and that address is a 7-Eleven or it just doesn’t exist anymore,” Lyons said, describing how traffickers and “super-sponsors” used the Biden-era chaos to disappear with dozens of children.

As of July, 13,000 missing minors had been found, Lyons said.

Left-Wing Media Spin and Political Fearmongering

Lyons blasted media outlets and Democratic officials who falsely portray ICE as targeting citizens or raiding schools.

“This great mission that we’re trying to do to locate and help these poor children is being torn apart in the news or for political rhetoric,” he said.

He also rejected claims from Chicago-area prosecutors who alleged ICE’s presence near courthouses discouraged victims and witnesses from coming forward in criminal cases.

“There’s no proven evidence that ICE will go out and arrest the victim,” Lyons reiterated.

In one case, Cook County prosecutors claimed witnesses in murder and sexual assault cases were afraid to testify because of ICE — a claim Lyons dismissed as politically motivated fearmongering from a county that proudly shields illegal immigrants.

Restoring Law and Order Under President Trump

Under President Trump’s renewed border security agenda, ICE has been tasked with reasserting federal authority in jurisdictions that have “gone rogue.” Lyons made clear that the agency’s operations are intelligence-driven and target-based, not indiscriminate.

“ICE, when we go out and make an arrest, we know exactly who we’re going for,” he said.

With the Trump administration once again prioritizing law and order, Lyons’ remarks signal a sharp turn away from the chaos of Biden’s open-border era — and a renewed commitment to enforcing America’s immigration laws without apology.