ICE Director Confronted Over 'Gestapo' Comparisons and Deadly Force Incidents
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons appeared before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday morning, where he opened his testimony by addressing inflammatory rhetoric directed at his agency. Lyons specifically complained about people referring to ICE agents as "the Gestapo" and "the secret police," arguing that such language unfairly encourages threats against law enforcement personnel.
Democratic Lawmakers Challenge ICE Tactics as 'Un-American'
Representative Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, offered Lyons what he called "revolutionary advice" during the heated exchange. "People are simply making valid observations about your tactics, which are un-American and outright fascist," Goldman stated bluntly. The congressman continued with a direct challenge: "I have a simple suggestion. If you don't want to be called a fascist regime or a secret police, then stop acting like one."
Goldman pointed to what he described as a pattern of ICE agents regularly stopping "nonwhite people and those who look like immigrants to ask for their papers"—a practice he identified as a hallmark of 20th-century fascist regimes. While Lyons acknowledged that secret police in both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union employed similar tactics, he maintained that comparing ICE personnel to the Gestapo was fundamentally wrong and unfair to his agents.
Amazon Prime Analogy Draws Scrutiny Over Fatal Shootings
Earlier in the hearing, Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, confronted Lyons about comments the ICE director made last year wishing for a deportation system that functioned "like Amazon Prime but with human beings." Swalwell pressed Lyons on this analogy by asking pointed questions about ICE's use of deadly force.
"Mr. Lyons, how many times has Amazon Prime shot a mom three times in the face?" Swalwell inquired, referencing the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis last month. Lyons conceded that Amazon Prime had never engaged in such actions, explaining that his original comment was meant to emphasize ICE's need for greater operational efficiency while acknowledging that "ICE deals with human beings so we can't be like them."
Swalwell continued his line of questioning, shifting to another recent incident: "Speaking of humans, how many times has Amazon Prime shot a nurse 10 times in the back?" This question referred to the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents, also in Minneapolis. Once again, Lyons answered simply: "None."
The exchange highlighted growing tensions between immigration enforcement agencies and congressional critics who question both the methods and consequences of current immigration policies. The hearing revealed deep divisions over how ICE conducts its operations and whether certain practices cross ethical and constitutional boundaries.
