Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons slammed Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., after she described ICE as a “terrorist force” in a social media post earlier this week.
“An actual Antifa terrorist tried to blow up ICE’s Northwest Processing Center in Rep. Jayapal’s home state of Washington in 2019. At the time, she tried to blame the violent attack on rhetoric from the right, in defense of an actual terrorist who tried to murder detainees and employees alike!” Lyons said in a statement.
“Now, she labels ICE officers enforcing immigration law set by Congress ‘terrorists.’ This, at a time when officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults, in part due to the type of rhetoric she spews,” he added. “Never in a million years did I think I would witness a sitting member of Congress prioritize regard for violent criminals over the law enforcement officers protecting her community from actual public safety threats. The only apology needed is from the congresswoman to the people who voted for her.”
The backlash follows Jayapal’s post on Instagram, where she wrote: “ICE is acting like a terrorist force. People across the country of all legal statuses — including U.S. citizens — are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men. No oversight, no accountability. Completely lawless.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson condemned Jayapal’s comments in a statement to Fox News, calling them “disgusting” and saying they “warrant an immediate apology.” Jackson said ICE agents are “simply doing their jobs and enforcing federal immigration law, with the utmost professionalism,” and warned that such rhetoric is fueling real-world violence, citing a 500% increase in assaults against ICE agents this year.
Jayapal defended her position during a CNN interview with Brianna Keilar. “What is deranged and cruel and outrageous is that, literally, we are seeing ICE agents, I assume they’re ICE agents. They say they are. They don’t have any identification. They’re wearing masks. They’re in plain clothes. They are coming and kidnapping and disappearing people on the streets of the United States,” she said.
“I never in a million years thought that that is something that I would see here in America,” Jayapal added. “People who have been here for 20 years and committed no crimes [are] getting swept up by masked men who are kidnaping them and deporting them.”
Jayapal also claimed ICE’s presence is affecting local economies, calling the agency’s enforcement efforts “outrageous,” “unconstitutional,” and “illegal.” She said her constituents — including restaurant owners and farmers — are afraid, noting, “People are so afraid, Brianna. It’s never something I thought I would see in the United States of America.”
