ICE acting chief faces questioning in Congress over immigration enforcement
Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee Tuesday for the first time since two American citizens were killed in Minneapolis, seeking to defend the actions of federal immigration officers as Congress scrutinizes enforcement operations. Lyons came alongside Rodney Scott, who heads U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, who leads U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, during a hearing that lasted more than three hours.
Lawmakers’ questions focused on issues that have drawn intense public attention since the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement push began at the start of his second term, including the handling of officer conduct after deadly incidents and the use of equipment such as masks and body cameras. Lyons and the other officials were asked repeatedly about the Minneapolis deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, but they declined to answer many details, saying the matters remained under investigation.
On whether he would apologize over how some Trump administration officials characterized Good, Lyons declined to do so and said he would speak privately with the family rather than comment publicly while investigations were ongoing. “I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private. But I’m not going to comment on any active investigation,” Lyons said, according to the hearing transcript as reported by the Associated Press.
Asked about footage capturing Pretti’s shooting, Lyons said he had seen the video but again declined to comment because the investigation was continuing. The officials’ recurring refusals to respond to questions about specifics in the case left lawmakers pressing for answers they said the public needed while the agencies faced ongoing scrutiny.
The hearing also turned to the appearance and visibility of federal officers in the field. Democrats criticized masked officers as lawless and unaccountable, while Republicans argued masks help protect officers from doxing, according to the Associated Press account of the exchange. When asked if he would commit to making officers take off their masks and require “standard uniforms with identifiable badges,” Lyons responded with one word: “No.”
Lyons also addressed body cameras, saying thousands of federal immigration officers were already outfitted with them and that more were coming. He said the body camera footage from the Minneapolis incident would be released publicly and said he was committed to “full transparency,” adding that he “fully welcome[s] body cameras all across the spectrum in all of our law enforcement activities,” as quoted in the Associated Press report.
Another flashpoint involved a case in Minnesota that has sparked controversy over the administration’s detention and enforcement tactics. Lawmakers asked about the situation of Liam Conejo Ramos, described as a 5-year-old wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by immigration officers, and the Associated Press report says the case drew attention after allegations that the boy was used as bait to lure one parent out of a house. The boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20, the report said.
In response, Lyons denied that the boy was used as bait. He said the child had been upset and that officers comforted him before placing him in a vehicle, playing his favorite music, and taking him to McDonald’s, according to the Associated Press account of Lyons’ remarks.
The hearing took place as members of Congress debated the possibility of a government shutdown and whether it would affect the Department of Homeland Security. The Associated Press report said Democrats were threatening to block funding for the department when it expires unless there were more restraints for ICE and other agencies carrying out Trump’s immigration agenda.
Republican Rep. Michael Guest asked whether a shutdown would make the country less safe, and all of the officials answered that it would. Lyons said it would “have a great impact,” and he said the consequences would particularly harm the department’s task forces on transnational crimes and terrorism, according to the Associated Press account.
Lawmakers also questioned whether ICE would pause enforcement activities during this year’s FIFA World Cup. Lyons declined to commit to halting operations, saying ICE was dedicated to ensuring that visitors to the facilities would have a “safe and secure event,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Separately, the ranking member of the committee, Democrat Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, asked whether the officials were involved in any efforts to guard voting precincts ahead of later this year’s midterm elections. The Associated Press report says Thompson asked, “You’ve not been asked to start deploying people for areas anywhere?” and Lyons and Scott each replied, “No, sir.”