ICE Director’s Response to Claims of Assassination

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons delivered a strong response to claims made by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others that 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goode was “assassinated” by police in Minneapolis.

“Look at the video. This situation was not an assassination. That officer had mere milliseconds to make a life-saving decision for himself and his colleagues,” Lyons remarked during an interview.

He suggested that the inflammatory political rhetoric has contributed to the current climate, noting, “There’s a significant amount of criticism directed at ICE, often from elected officials.” Lyons accused some Congress members of focusing more on obstructing ICE’s work than on collaborating to hold individuals accountable for actions against agents.

Lyons expressed concern that local officials resisting ICE’s efforts only worsens tensions, saying it further motivates those unwilling to act responsibly regarding the agency.

Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats have attributed the tragedy that took Goode’s life to her allegedly accelerating her vehicle toward federal agents.

Democrats, part of the “Squad,” pushed back against Vice President J.D. Vance on Capitol Hill last Friday, criticizing his support of ICE amid the ongoing debates surrounding the agency’s role.

Lyons asserted that increased cooperation from local jurisdictions in extraditing criminal illegal aliens could reduce the need for ICE operations on the ground. “If you can safely hand them over to us, we won’t need to conduct street arrests,” he noted.