Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is calling out the hypocrisy of progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said the agency is “acting like a terrorist force,” pointing to an earlier attempt by the congresswoman to shift blame away from an actual terrorist.

In a social media post this week, Jayapal claimed “ICE is acting like a terrorist force” and that “people across the country of all legal statuses — including U.S. citizens — are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men.”

Jayapal asserted that the federal operations are being carried out with “no oversight, no accountability” and are “completely lawless.”

During an interview with Brianna Keilar on “CNN News Central,” Jayapal doubled down on her statement, saying, “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.

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Todd Lyons, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. (Getty Images)

“I never in a million years thought that that is something that I would see here in America,” she added. “And so I think it is the administration that has to apologize to U.S. citizens that have been rounded up to legal, permanent residents, to people with legal statuses across the country who are getting swept up, people who have been here for 20 years and committed no crimes, getting swept up by masked men who are kidnaping them and deporting them.”

In response, Lyons said after “an actual Antifa terrorist tried to blow up ICE’s Northwest Processing Center in Rep. Jayapal’s home state of Washington in 2019,” 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!

“Now, she labels ICE officers enforcing immigration law set by Congress ‘terrorists,’” said Lyons. “This, at a time when officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults, is in part due to the type of rhetoric she spews.”

A protester waves the Mexican flag in front of a burning Waymo vehicle during an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles June 8, 2025. (Getty Images)

“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,” he said. “The only apology needed is from the congresswoman to the people who voted for her.”

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News earlier this week that assaults against ICE officers and federal agents conducting immigration enforcement are up 690% compared to the same time last year. 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, a special agent working deportations voiced concern about the escalating violence and the effect of Democrats pushing policies to de-mask officials, which they said threatens their families and communities.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents look over lists of names and hearing times and locations inside the Federal Plaza courthouse before making arrests June 27, 2025, in New York. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)