As anti-ICE protesters once again took to Chicago’s streets, chanting “ICE off our streets now,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons joined Dan Proft on Chicago’s Morning Answer to offer a stark rebuttal to the political grandstanding and misinformation surrounding immigration enforcement in major sanctuary cities.
Lyons, who oversees federal immigration operations across the country, didn’t mince words about the growing hostility toward his officers — and the local leaders stoking it. “It’s extremely dangerous,” Lyons said. “When elected officials tell people to ‘resist ICE,’ they’re encouraging violence against federal law enforcement. We’ve already seen officers attacked here in Chicago and even shot at in Dallas. This isn’t a peaceful protest — it’s lawlessness.”
Over the weekend, two separate incidents in Chicago involved individuals using vehicles to ram ICE agents, an escalation Lyons attributed to inflammatory rhetoric from figures like Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Both officials have accused ICE of “terrorizing” immigrant communities, with Johnson even signing an executive order declaring parts of Chicago “ICE-free zones.”
Lyons said the irony is that many of those same politicians privately thank ICE for removing dangerous repeat offenders from their cities — then turn around and denounce them in public. “We’ve had elected officials pull us aside to say they appreciate what we’re doing,” Lyons told Proft. “Then they leave the meeting and scorch us in the media. It’s frustrating because all we’re doing is enforcing the law Congress passed.”
Lyons described a recent ICE operation on the city’s South Side that’s been the target of heavy criticism. Activists accused ICE of “zip-tying children” and using “military-style raids.” But Lyons said those claims distort what actually happened. “That was a targeted criminal operation,” he explained. “Federal agents acted on intelligence showing that members of the transnational TDA gang had taken over an abandoned apartment complex, were armed with explosives, and were terrorizing residents. We removed those gang members and identified everyone else there. U.S. citizens and minors were released. But instead of being thanked, we were accused of separating families.”
He added that images circulating online of supposed ICE misconduct were either fabricated or unrelated to the operation. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” he said. “People want to believe the worst because it fits their narrative.”
Lyons also took direct aim at claims by Governor Pritzker that ICE agents are racially profiling immigrants. “That’s simply false,” he said. “We conduct targeted criminal enforcement. If someone is arrested by Chicago police and released under their sanctuary policy, we research their record and target them specifically. Or if an immigration judge orders someone deported and they ignore it, we enforce that order. That’s it. We don’t pull people over because they’re black or brown — we go after individuals who pose public safety threats.”
He added that ICE’s mission under the Trump administration has returned to full enforcement of federal immigration law. “We’re no longer turning a blind eye to any immigration violator,” Lyons said. “If we encounter others here illegally during a lawful operation, we’re going to enforce the law. That’s our job.”
Despite political headwinds, Lyons praised local law enforcement for maintaining professional cooperation. “I’m confident Chicago PD will come to our aid,” he said. “Their superintendent has been clear that any attack on law enforcement is wrong. But pitting cops against other cops doesn’t make anyone safer.”
Lyons pointed to ICE’s ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz,” named in honor of Katie Abraham — a young Illinois woman killed by an illegal immigrant with prior deportation orders — as an example of the agency’s focus. The initiative has led to over 800 arrests in the region, with more than 70% of those arrested having prior convictions or pending charges for violent or serious crimes.
For those who want to see the reality of ICE’s work, Lyons encouraged the public to visit the agency’s website and social media channels. “We post the profiles of the worst offenders we’ve arrested,” he said. “We want people to see who we’re actually taking off the streets — because it’s not the families activists talk about. It’s criminals, gang members, and predators who shouldn’t be here.”
Lyons closed with a reminder that his agency doesn’t set immigration policy — it enforces it. “If people don’t like the law, change it,” he said. “But don’t vilify the men and women who risk their lives to keep this country safe.”