ICE chief defends agents' use of masks, decries sanctuary jurisdictions

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Source: ABC News/AP

June 2, 2025, 2:04 PM


BOSTON -- The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday defended his tactics against criticism that authorities are being too heavy-handed as they ramp up arrests toward President Donald Trump's promises of mass deportations. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he was “deeply upset” by an ICE operation at a popular Italian restaurant just before the dinner rush on Friday. A chaotic showdown unfolded outside as customers and witnesses shouted, smoke bombs filled the air, and agents wore heavy tactical gear to face an angry crowd.

Todd Lyons, ICE's acting director, turned emotional when asked to explain why officials wear masks. He said some have received death threats and been harassed online. “I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is,” he said at a news conference in Boston to announce nearly 1,500 arrests in the region as part of a month-long “surge operation.”

Lyons was leaving the room when a reporter asked him about the masks. He returned to the podium. “Is that the issue here that we’re just upset about the masks?” he asked. “Or is anyone upset about the fact that ICE officers’ families were labeled terrorists?” Lyons may have been referring to comments by San Diego Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera, who called ICE officers “terrorists” after Friday's restaurant raid. “This isn't safety. It's state-sponsored terrorism," Elo-Rivera wrote on Instagram.

The Department of Homeland Security reposted Elo-Rivera's message, saying that likening ICE to terrorists was “sickening.” The councilman stuck by his comments on Monday. Other elected officials, such as Gloria and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters of San Diego, both Democrats, were more muted but also sharply critical of ICE and the Republican White House. “Federal actions like these are billed as a public safety measure, but it had the complete opposite effect. What we saw undermines trust and creates fear in our community,” Gloria said.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ice-chief-defends-agents-masks-decries-sanctuary-jurisdictions-122425041