Latest news with #ToddLyons
Fox News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
ICE official puts politicians on blast, demanding they 'stop putting my people in danger'
Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons demands that politicians "stop putting my people in danger." In a video, Lyons called out Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., suggesting that they are fomenting "outrage" about ICE's work, accusing them of "hurting" people with "ridiculous rhetoric and inflammatory comments." During remarks last week, Wu said, "People are terrified for their lives, and for their neighbors, folks getting snatched off the street by secret police, who are wearing masks … who can offer no justification for why certain people are being taken and then … detained." U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley explained the mask issue in a video shared online this week. "Federal agents in marked jackets and vests are masking their faces because people like Mayor Wu have created false narratives about their mission. Federal agents and their children are being threatened, doxxed and assaulted — that it why they must hide their faces," Foley declared. Wu has even earned a direct rebuke from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) X account. "I don't know of any police department that routinely wears masks," Wu said on Wednesday. "NSC-131 routinely wears masks." When someone asked Wu whether she was comparing ICE to a neo-Nazi group, the mayor replied, "What I said is that Boston police, and no police department that I know of at the local level routinely wears masks." DHS slammed Wu, declaring in a Thursday post, "Mayor Wu comparing ICE agents to neo-Nazis is SICKENING. When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by known and suspected gang members, murders, and rapists. Attacks and demonization of our brave law enforcement is WRONG. ICE officers are now facing a 413% increase in assaults." Jeffries declared on Tuesday that all ICE agents who perpetrate "aggressive overreach" and attempt to conceal "their identities from the American people, will be unsuccessful in doing that." They will all be identified "no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes," he asserted, saying that is what the law requires. The House minority leader made the comments when responding to a question about identifying authorities connected with two separate incidents related to Democratic lawmakers. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., said in a post on X last month that "ICE shoved" her. However, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba later declared in a post that her office had "charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement." Separately, DHS agents "forcefully entered" an office and handcuffed one of Rep. Jerry Nadler's, D-N.Y., staffers, the lawmaker said in a statement. DHS addressed the incident, stating in a post on X that "Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers responded to information that protesters were present inside U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler's District Office in Manhattan, New York." DHS said that "officers were granted entry and encountered four individuals. Officers identified themselves and explained their intent to conduct a security check, however, one individual became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office. The officers then detained the individual in the hallway for the purpose of completing the security check. All were released without further incident." Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Wu and Jeffries to request comments from the politicians on Thursday but did not receive responses by the time of publication.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE agents wear masks when making arrests in Massachusetts due to safety concerns, Acting Director says
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A news conference was held earlier this week, revealing nearly 1,500 people were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts, and why agents are seen wearing masks. ICE agents in Massachusetts have come under public scrutiny for wearing masks during arrest operations, prompting a pointed response from ICE's Acting Director Todd Lyons during a news conference earlier this week. Protests held in Amherst following arrests by ICE Lyons returned to the podium to explain the reason behind the use of facial coverings by agents, citing escalating threats to officers' personal safety. 'A lot of agencies were invited to come out two weeks ago in Los Angeles, where we ran an operation where ICE offices were doxed,' Lyons told reporters. 'So let's just say that again, people are out there taking photos of the names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves.' The acting director emphasized that the masks are a protective measure, not an attempt to obscure accountability. 'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' Lyons said. According to Lyons, ICE agents were also recently involved in a joint operation with the U.S. Secret Service, during which an individual was arrested for targeting law enforcement families online. 'We arrested someone who was going online, taking their photos, posting their families, their kids' Instagram, their kids' Facebook, and targeting them,' Lyons said. 'So let me ask—is that the issue here, that we're just upset about the masks, or is anyone upset with the fact that ICE officers' families were labeled terrorists?' Operation Patriot nets 1,500 arrested by ICE in Massachusetts The comments come amid heightened national debate over immigration enforcement tactics, including online privacy and safety for government employees involved in controversial federal operations. The news conference also revealed that nearly 1,500 individuals had been arrested by ICE in Massachusetts as part of recent enforcement actions. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- General
- Int'l Business Times
ICE Director Claims Masked Agents Are Being Doxed, Terrorized Online Before Naming Department Heads
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons defended the use of masks by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations, citing a sharp rise in online harassment and threats against officers and their families. At a Monday press conference in Boston, officials announced that nearly 1,500 people had been arrested across Massachusetts in May alone. There, Lyons said agents have been "doxed," stalked online and targeted with death threats, according to the Associated Press . The press conference had largely wrapped up when a reporter asked why ICE officers frequently wear masks during arrests. Lyons returned to the podium to answer directly. "They are wearing those masks because we ran an operation with the Secret Service where we arrested someone that was going online, taking their photos, posting their families', their kids' Instagram, their kids' Facebooks and targeting them," he said. According to Lyons, assaults on ICE officers are up 400% compared to this time last year, adding urgency to the agency's concerns. The arrests included individuals ICE described as having "significant" criminal records, among them were allegedly convicted murderers, drug traffickers and individuals wanted by Interpol. Tensions escalated after a chaotic incident on May 8 in Worcester, where a crowd confronted ICE agents attempting to detain a Brazilian woman, who had prior assault charges, as reported by 25 News . In body camera footage later released by the city, multiple community members were seen confronting and shoving officers. One woman was arrested for allegedly throwing a substance at an agent. Lyons and U.S. Attorney Leah Foley both emphasized that interfering with federal law enforcement is a felony offense. "We will not tolerate anyone who impedes or obstructs ICE operations," Foley said, warning that threats against officers would be prosecuted. Before leaving the podium, Lyons pushed back at critics who object to masked arrests. "I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not gonna let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is," he said. Originally published on Latin Times
Newsweek
3 days ago
- General
- Newsweek
ICE Director Responds to Agents Being Labeled 'Terrorists'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting chief has denied heavy-handedness on the part of his agents, who he says have been forced to wear masks after being "doxed" and branded "terrorists." Doxing is an online attack that involves publishing someone's personal information and details online, often with the intent to intimidate or frighten the victim. The agency's Acting Director Todd Lyons comments come in the wake of criticism by San Diego Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera, who branded ICE officers "terrorists" following a raid at an Italian restaurant in the Californian city last week. The operation turned chaotic as customers tried to prevent the sting, which took place during the Friday night dinner rush. Newsweek has reached out by email to ICE and San Diego City Council seeking further comment. Why It Matters The furor comes amid a febrile debate across the U.S. about immigration, which President Donald Trump had made a cornerstone of his presidential election campaign. When he took the keys to the White House for his second term in office, he kicked off with a dramatic series of immigration raids and also revealed his hopes to end the automatic birthright citizenship for the children born to parents who aren't citizens or lawful permanent residents in the U.S. The subject has proved divisive as politicians across the political spectrum battle about the best way to deal with immigration issues, and Democrats have slammed Trump and highlighted various deportation cases they claim are miscarriages of justice. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent wearing a mask in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on May 7, 2025. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent wearing a mask in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on May 7, 2025. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Lyons spoke at a news conference in Boston to announce nearly 1,500 arrests across Massachusetts in May as part of a "surge operation." During the event, he addressed criticism of his officers, but suggested he was shocked that people were more upset about his agents wearing masks, than the fact they had been forced to hide their faces due to safety fears amid the threat of retaliation for doing their jobs. He appeared visibly emotional as he said two weeks ago in Los Angeles that his agents were "doxed." He added: "People are out there taking photos, of their names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves." His comments came after a backlash in the state last week, during a raid at the Buona Forchetta restaurant in San Diego. ICE officers swooped on four workers who were allegedly in the U.S. illegally. But the situation reportedly got out of hand when customers and witnesses surrounded their vehicles and tried to impede the operation. ICE agents deployed flash-bangs as smoke filled the air, and masked agents wearing tactical gear faced off against the crowd. "Federal actions like these are billed as a public safety measure, but it had the complete opposite effect. What we saw undermines trust and creates fear in our community," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said later. What People Are Saying San Diego Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera shared a photograph of ICE agents on his Instagram page, which had the word "TERRORISTS" scrawled in red across it. He wrote a post alongside the image, saying: "Look at this photo. This isn't a war zone—it's a neighborhood in our city. In San Diego, they've targeted parents dropping off their kids at school, people following the law inside courthouses, and workers just doing their jobs at local restaurants. "These are federal agents carrying out raids on under the false pretense of 'safety.' This isn't safety. It's state-sponsored terrorism. And anyone who cares about freedom—and true safety—should be fighting back." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons said: "I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is." He went on to add: "Is that the issue here, that we're just upset about the masks? Or is anyone upset about the fact that ICE officers' families were labeled terrorists?" What Happens Next Lyons told Fox & Friends on Sunday that ICE was currently averaging around 1,600 arrests per day across the U.S. However, Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, says he wants to see that total reaching 3,000 arrests per day. In the meantime, the debate looks set to continue as Trump pushes ahead with his crackdown.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why do ICE agents wear masks?
It's been happening almost always the same way: someone is out in public in Massachusetts when strangers in ski masks suddenly surround and whisk them away into a waiting dark SUV. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents aren't always immediately recognizable as authorities because of their face masks, at-times unmarked vests and clothes — unlike the uniformed law enforcement officers with which the public is familiar. At a press conference in Boston on Monday, ICE officials did not answer questions as to why many of its agents have been witnessed working without any immediate identifiers, such as badges or monikers on jackets. But the facial disguises, according to Todd Lyons, acting ICE director, are for the agents' safety. '... people are out there taking photos of [ICE agents'] faces and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves,' Lyons said at the press conference at the John Joseph Moakley courthouse, where officials announced nearly 1,500 people were detained by ICE across Massachusetts in May alone. Lyons said two weeks ago, ICE agents were directly targeted during an operation in Los Angeles by bystanders 'doxing' the agents' children and family through social media accounts. 'So, I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and family on the line, because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' Lyons said. In Massachusetts, police officers are required by law to identify themselves and carry an ID card with their photo and information. Similar rules apply to federal ICE operations, but in recent Massachusetts detainments, what qualifies as proper identification has been inconsistent and unclear, as public outrage reaches a fever pitch in the state over the agency's tactics and arrests. On March 27, Martell Lebron-Wilson was detained by ICE agents in what bystanders thought was a kidnapping outside of the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in Boston. Lebron-Wilson, a 49-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the country without authorization, was on a lunch break during his trial on allegations of falsifying RMV records when agents swiftly took him into an SUV. 'Was that a kidnapping? You're not going to tell us where he's going?' a man seen on video asked the federal agents. The ICE agents walked away with no answer. Two days prior, Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish woman enrolled in a Tufts University doctoral program, was taken by masked agents from the streets of Somerville. Video from the scene showed Öztürk yelling as bystanders asked the agents what was happening, and if it was a kidnapping. And in a wild scene last month on Eureka Street in Worcester, several ICE agents — some masked — detained Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, a Brazilian mother of three. They were met by nearly three dozen protesters who demanded to see a warrant and asked, 'What are you doing here?' The only response an ICE agent gave was, 'We do not need a judicial warrant for this arrest.' ICE agents typically do not need a judicial warrant for arrests, though many are carried out with an administrative warrant, according to a 'Know Your Rights' guide from Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. On Monday, Lyons said current ICE operations in Massachusetts are being carried out with assistance from at least the following 10 agencies: U.S. Attorney's Office Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) U.S. Coast Guard Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) U.S/ Marshals Service Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Over the month of May, 1,461 people were detained by ICE across Massachusetts, the officials said Monday. About half of those people had either been convicted of a crime or had pending criminal charges. Those targeted in the operation included 'drug traffickers, sex offenders, murderers and foreign fugitives trying to evade justice in their home countries,' Lyons said. While further details were not offered on the other 671 people detained, 'every person we arrested was breaking our immigration laws,' acting ICE Boston Office Field Director Patricia Hyde said. Reporters pressed for a comprehensive list of those detained, but the officials declined to definitively provide one. Of the total number of people detained, 277 were ordered removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge, Hyde said. The officials also gave more detail on the arrest of 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who was detained by ICE on Saturday. The Milford High School student was on his way to volleyball practices when he was pulled over by ICE in his father's car — who was actually the intended target of ICE's operations in Milford, Lyons said. Reporters challenged Lyons on the decision to arrest a high school student and asked what danger the teenager — who was about to play in the graduation ceremony band the next day — was to his community. 'I didn't say he was dangerous,' Lyons replied. 'I said he's in this country illegally, and we're not going to walk away from anybody,' he said. Mass. casino winner: Jackpot won on colorful slots game Mass. State Lottery winner: Irish pub sells winning $120,000 ticket Westfield Woman's Club announces winners of the Garden Club's Litter Project Karen Read trial live updates: Defense dog bite expert resumes testimony Tuesday Out-of-town money floods Boston mayor's race Read the original article on MassLive.
