ICE Dir. Lyons to Newsmax: Dems Targeting Agents, Fueling Violence Spike

Assaults against ICE officers have surged by 700%, with Acting Director Todd Lyons accusing Democrats in Congress of inciting violence against agents by labeling them "terrorists" and "Nazis."

Lyons accused congressional Democrats on Saturday on Newsmax of putting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at risk, asserting they have effectively placed "a target on the backs" of law enforcement officers nationwide.

Appearing on "America Right Now," Lyons spoke openly about his fears concerning escalating violence against ICE officers. "That's one of the things that keeps me up at night consistently — the men and women of ICE, our local and state partners, and other federal partners that are helping us aren't safe right now," Lyons told host Tom Basile.

He highlighted alarming new figures from the Department of Homeland Security, underscoring a sharp increase in violence directed at ICE personnel. "We actually just broke a 700% increase over last year's numbers on assaults on ICE officers," he said.

Lyons cited a recent incident near Dallas as an example of the growing threat. "Just last night, we had an incident in the Dallas field office. A local police officer responding to protesters and fireworks outside the Prairieland detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, was shot in the neck. They were ambushed," Lyons explained, describing the situation as "unprecedented."

When asked about what could be done to protect law enforcement, Lyons explicitly blamed Democratic officials for stoking animosity toward ICE agents. "When you have elected officials, especially Democrats in Congress, calling us terrorists, calling us Nazis, saying it's OK to dox us, dox our families, that's not right," Lyons asserted. He added that such rhetoric was directly responsible for escalating threats and violence against ICE officers.

Lyons called for urgent support from political leaders at all levels, emphasizing the need for a unified front to protect those serving in immigration enforcement roles. "What we need is support from congressional leaders, from local leaders," he said. "These folks are out there protecting this nation every day."

The ICE chief further noted that violent demonstrations targeting his agency appear organized and well-funded. He assured viewers that federal authorities, including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigators, and Homeland Security Investigations, are actively investigating these groups. "The Department of Justice has open cases on a lot of these individuals and corporations funding these protests," Lyons said.

Dispelling the notion that ordinary citizens were behind the unrest, Lyons emphasized the coordinated nature of the threats. "These aren't your average people," he insisted. "Most American citizens realize ICE is a law enforcement agency, a law enforcement tool. Everything we're doing has been on the books since the 1950s."

Lyons pledged continued vigilance in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies to uncover and prosecute those orchestrating the violent backlash. "There is definitely a menacing group behind this, and we're working very hard with the Department of Justice to find them," he concluded.

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