Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defended President Donald Trump's decision to expand U.S. travel restrictions to 20 more countries, telling Newsmax on Wednesday the move is about public safety, not race, after the fatal shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington last month.
On "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Lyons responded to criticisms from Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups who have labeled the expanded restrictions racist.
Trump announced the new measures Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected countries to 39, after authorities said the Nov. 26 shooting raised renewed concerns about terrorism and border security.
"You know, it's not racist. We have to go ahead, and we have to take care of the American people," Lyons said.
"We have to make sure that we're properly vetting the right people."
Lyons said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made clear that the administration will block entry to anyone deemed a potential threat.
"She's not going to allow anyone in this country that is going to be a potential harm or potential threat," he said.
He pointed to attacks overseas as examples of what the administration is trying to prevent.
"We've seen it all across the globe where free immigration and no immigration constraints have led to attacks on individuals, knife attacks in major cities, car rammings, you know, bombings," he said. "We can't have that in the United States."
Lyons also reacted to reports that Paris canceled its New Year's Eve celebration over security concerns tied to a possible terrorist attack, calling the move an example of what the U.S. should avoid.
"That's what we shouldn't be doing. We shouldn't be giving in to terrorism," he said.
He contrasted the French decision with U.S. law enforcement preparedness, noting ICE's origins after the Sept. 11 attacks.
"ICE is an agency that's born out of 9/11, [the] second-largest law enforcement agency in the U.S.," Lyons said. "So, we know that we can go out there and counter these terrorist threats."
Lyons criticized what he described as lax immigration enforcement under the Biden administration, saying a porous border requires constant vigilance, particularly involving people from what he called high-threat countries.
"We have to constantly vet these people, especially from high-threat countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, and other countries," he said, warning that terrorists could exploit U.S. immigration pathways if safeguards are weakened.
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