ICE head says agents will arrest anyone found in the U.S. illegally, crack down on employers of unauthorized workers

Source: CBS News

ICE head says agents will arrest anyone found in the U.S. illegally, crack down on employers of unauthorized workers

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Updated on: July 20, 2025 / 12:53 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — In an exclusive interview with CBS News, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said his agents will arrest anyone they find in the country illegally, even if they lack a criminal record, while also cracking down on companies hiring unauthorized workers.

Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, said his agency will prioritize its "limited resources" on arresting and deporting "the worst of the worst," such as those in the U.S. unlawfully who also have serious criminal histories.

But Lyons said non-criminals living in the U.S. without authorization will also be taken into custody during arrest operations, arguing that states and cities with "sanctuary" policies that limit cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement are forcing his agents to go into communities by not turning over noncitizen inmates.

"What's, again, frustrating for me is the fact that we would love to focus on these criminal aliens that are inside a jail facility," Lyons said during his first sit-down network interview on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "A local law enforcement agency, state agency already deemed that person a public safety threat and arrested them and they're in detention."

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-head-todd-lyons-agents-will-arrest-anyone-found-illegally-crack-down-on-employers/