The head of ICE boasts of “historic results” after 379,000 arrests and at least 37 deaths since 2025

The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyonsdefended this Tuesday before Congress the “historical results” achieved during the second term of US President Donald Trump.

Despite the rejection caused by ICE’s intervention in Minnesota, its acting director has assured that the agency operates in the “most lethal operating environment in its history.” “Anyone who thinks they can intimidate us is going to fail,” Lyons warned.

Representatives of the Democratic party condemned the Trump administration’s immigration repression for stop people who were legally in the country or who had no criminal record.

They also criticized ICE’s aggressive tactics, alleging that federal agents used disproportionate force and carried out “illegal actions.”

The person responsible for border protection has highlighted that, from January 20, 2025 to January 20, 2026, ICE carried out the order of 379,000 arrests. Among them, “more than 7,000 suspected gang members and more than 1,400 suspected terrorists,” he highlighted.

“This is just the beginning,” Lyons warned. “ICE remains committed to the principle that those who enter illegally in our country they must be held accountable.

Lethal operating environment

The acting chief assured commission members that his unit’s activity occurred “in the most lethal operating environment in ICE history.” He noted that in the last year death threats against their staff grew by 8,000%, while attacks shot up by 1,400%.

According to Lyons, the families of ICE personnel have felt unsafe in their homes. “I know this firsthand because my own family was targeted,” he said.

Eric SwalwellDemocratic representative from California, questioned Lyons and demanded that he apologize to the victims of the Minneapolis shootings for having linked them to domestic terrorism.

Since records began in 2003, ICE has officially reported more than 200 deaths of people in its custody. In 2025 alone, there are an estimated 32 victims under arrest and another 5 during detention operations.