00:00Mass deportation was one of President Trump's biggest campaign promises.
00:05Six months into his administration, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
00:09has deported nearly 150,000 people thus far.
00:13And with the recent passage of Trump's tax and border bill,
00:17the agency will be getting an unprecedented infusion of funds,
00:21becoming the highest funded law enforcement agency in this country.
00:26Our immigration and politics reporter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
00:31spoke with the acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, this Friday.
00:35And he began by asking whether the new money will help the administration
00:38meet its goal of one million deportations per year.
00:43I definitely think it's possible.
00:45One thing, though, that ICE is historically known for in our mission is we detain to remove.
00:51We don't detain punitively.
00:53So people do hear that increase in the bed space.
00:55But it's not for long term.
00:57There's no reason for someone to linger in a detention facility
01:01after they've been lawfully ordered by an immigration judge.
01:03We want to ensure that they can get back to their home country safely and quickly.
01:07More than a dozen individuals are facing charges for that violent attack
01:11against an ICE facility in Texas.
01:14The Department of Homeland Security, as you know,
01:15has also reported a sharp increase in attacks against your agents.
01:20What do you think is behind that?
01:21I think the sharp increase in the rhetoric, especially from a lot of elected officials
01:25that are shaming, if you will, or speaking out against the ICE law enforcement mission,
01:31is what's really increasing these attacks on officers.
01:35And that, unfortunately, the Alvarado incident down in Prairieland,
01:39that is one that's really taken it to the next level.
01:42Just the increase is amazing.
01:43The fact that, like you said, 830 percent increase from last year, assaults on officers.
01:47Do you think the increase in attacks against ICE officers is connected to the broader increase
01:54in ICE arrests across the country?
01:56Because you're seeing more arrests, you're seeing more attacks, too.
01:59I think we're seeing both.
02:01I think because we are more visible in the community.
02:06You know, there was recently people that talked about the amount of support
02:09that ICE had under President Obama.
02:12Well, during those times, we did make more custodial arrests,
02:15those arrests like you would in the jails, right?
02:18We weren't really out there.
02:19We just don't see that now with a lot of the sanctuary policies
02:22and just a lot of lack of cooperation.
02:25So you are seeing us out more.
02:27And I think there is more of a tension, kind of like you said,
02:30the immigration mission is one of the forefront of this administration.
02:33So there's a lot of scrutiny and publicity to it.
02:37What do you say, Director, to the criticism that law enforcement officials,
02:40including ICE officers, should be identifying themselves
02:43and that the use of masks could be potentially dangerous,
02:47including because it could lead to imposters posing as ICE agents?
02:51Yeah, and that's one of our biggest concerns.
02:53And I've said it publicly before.
02:55I'm not a proponent of the masks.
02:56However, if that's a tool that the men and women advise
03:00to keep themselves and their families safe, then I'll allow it.
03:04I do kind of push back on the criticism that they don't identify themselves.
03:08Men and women of ICE and our DOJ partners and local law enforcement do help us.
03:12They are identified on their vests.
03:13You can see the HSI, ERO, federal police officer, FBI on the back of the vest.
03:19So I would push back on the notion that we aren't identifying themselves.
03:24Now, what I would advocate for, and I've said this many times,
03:27is I know a lot of elected officials have put forward legislation
03:31or proposed legislation about banning of the masks, things like that.
03:34I would also want elected officials to help us hold those people accountable
03:40that do dox or threat an ICE officer or agent or their family.
03:44So you will continue to allow ICE officers to wear masks during operations?
03:49I will.
03:49Do you know how many of the individuals arrested by ICE
03:52are people here illegally but who also have serious criminal records?
03:56ICE is always focused on the worst of the worst.
03:58One difference you'll see now.
