Todd Lyons to Newsmax: Claims ICE Zip-Tied Kids 'Outrageous Misinformation'

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back Wednesday on Newsmax against what he calls "outrageous misinformation" about a recent immigration operation in Chicago, saying false claims and political rhetoric are putting federal agents at risk.

Appearing on "National Report," Lyons denied allegations that ICE agents zip-tied children during a raid on a Chicago apartment complex, calling the accusation "completely false."

"First off, they had these outrageous photos of these poor kids zip tied, which wasn't even a part of that operation," Lyons said. "There's just so much misinformation out there that the American public is not actually hearing exactly what ICE does on a daily basis."

Lyons said the operation targeted gang members tied to a foreign terrorist organization and that officials should have applauded the effort.

"You would think that elected officials would be happy that Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Patrol and FBI took control of an apartment complex that was taken over by gang members," he said.

"But instead you have comments like that, that we were zip-tying children, arresting American citizens."

He said the only American citizens being detained were those who attacked or interfered with officers.

"You can't put your hands on a federal law enforcement officer. You can't impede ICE vehicles. You can't try to help an arrested criminal illegal alien escape," Lyons said.

"If you're an American citizen and you put your hands on law enforcement, then you're going to go to jail," he added.

Lyons also criticized Chicago authorities after reports surfaced that city police refused to assist ICE agents surrounded by activists during an enforcement operation.

"The whole part of the sanctuary city policy debate is the fact that they pit law enforcement officers against each other," he said. "At no time should a law enforcement officer be barred from going to help another officer that's in danger."

He said Chicago's police superintendent denied the reports, "but unfortunately, his own dispatchers and their own readouts say differently."

Lyons warned that failure to cooperate could have turned deadly.

"When you have individuals, these real extremists, using 10,000- or 15,000-pound vehicles to try to run officers over, that's a deadly force situation," he said. "You would think any state or local law enforcement leadership would go all hands on deck to come help us."

The acting director also accused Democratic leaders of fueling hostility toward federal agents through reckless rhetoric.

"The night before the sniper attack in Dallas, you had Gov. [Gavin] Newsom saying that he would push back on ICE and resist," Lyons said. "And then what happened the next day? You have an ICE facility in a major U.S. city come under sniper fire, and two detainees lost their lives."

Lyons also rejected criticism from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who accused ICE of pushing "propaganda."

"If he says we automatically put a press release out, that's because we want the American public to know exactly what we're doing, exactly what happened, exactly who we're arresting," Lyons said. "He needs to take the time and educate himself."

He also dismissed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's "ICE-free zone" order barring agents from using city property.

"All it is, is political theater and bluster," Lyons said. "We're still going to go where we need to go to make those arrests."

Despite political pushback and threats against agents, Lyons said ICE will continue to enforce the law. "We're not going to be deterred by this," he said. "We're going to keep making sure that we're going out there every day."

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