The head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, and other officials in the agency testified before Congress, on Tuesday, against the backdrop of the killing of Americans by immigration police gunfire in two separate incidents in Minneapolis. Lyons confirmed that he was carrying out President Donald Trump's mandate for "mass deportation," and said that the administration had carried out "more than 475,000 deportations" over the past year.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 22:35

The heads of US immigration agencies testified before Congress on Tuesday against the backdrop of the killing of Americans by security forces in two separate incidents in Minneapolis.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the need for a more flexible approach to the immigration issue following the two shooting incidents. His administration also announced concessions that included the withdrawal of hundreds of personnel from the city located in the American Midwest.

But the issue is still pending, as Democrats are demanding changes in the mechanism by which the Department of Homeland Security carries out immigration inspections and are threatening to stop funding it. In return, the Trump administration pledges to continue its deportation policies.

About half a million deportations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Chief Todd Lyons confirmed at the hearing that he is implementing President Trump's mandate for "mass deportation." He added: "Thanks to the resources allocated by Congress, we are intensifying our efforts in detention centers and conducting daily deportation flights. Last year alone, we carried out more than 475,000 deportations."

The head of the agency testified alongside the head of Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, and the director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, during a hearing on oversight of the Department of Homeland Security.

Scott praised efforts on the southern border of the United States, saying that CBP "spent the past year rebuilding what was an intentionally abandoned border," and asserted that it had "the most secure border in our nation's history."

Immigration operations sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis, and the killings of Americans Rene Goode and Alex Peretti, less than three weeks apart last month, sparked a wave of anger.

France 24/AFP

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