Jan. 13, 2026 - Human Events Daily - Jack Posobiec
11:44
Exclusive Interview with I.C.E Director Todd Lyons
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This is what happens when the fourth turning meets fifth generation warfare.
A commentator, international social media sensation, and former Navy intelligence veteran.
This is Human Events with your host, Jack Posovic.
Christ is King.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board today's edition of Human Events Daily.
Today is January 13th, 2026.
And Domini, we are honored once again to have here on Human Events Daily, the director of ICE, Mr. Todd Lyons.
Todd, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thanks, Jack.
Good seeing you again.
Well, Mr. Director, obviously a lot has changed since the last time you and I spoke right there on the south lawn of the White House.
I've just gotten back from Minneapolis myself.
Human Events does have a crew that's there on the field.
What can you tell us about these operations in Minneapolis that the entire country is talking about?
And specifically, I guess I would say, what do you think that the media is getting wrong about the narrative here?
You know, I think the first thing, Jack, that the mainstream media is really missing the point on is the fact that they're kind of painting this as an invasion of the Department of Homeland Security resources, right?
That there's such a big surge, you know, an overreach of the government.
But what I think a lot of people are losing sight on is two really key things.
Number one, the reason what got us there in the first place.
The fraudulent behaviors when it came to the smally fraud, daycare fraud, social welfare fraud, at the tune of almost $9 billion, right?
So we did front load a lot of Homeland Security investigation special agents up there for that.
So that was number one.
Number two, obviously Minnesota, Minneapolis in general, is a sanctuary city.
So we were already conducting our lawful law enforcement missions while we were out there.
You know, ICE has always been in Minnesota for ever since the inception of ICE, I would say for two decades plus.
We've had a field office for enforcement removal operations, as well as a SAC office, special agent in charge for Homeland Security investigations up there.
So we've always been in Minnesota.
So we have seen such an increase of criminally illegal aliens that were not turned over to ICE or other federal authorities and re-released back onto the streets of not only Minneapolis, but Minnesota.
So we were already there conducting our law enforcement mission.
Now, you take those two parts and incorporate the fact that what the mainstream media is showing is our reaction to all the protesters, the violent agitators, the vehicle rammings, et cetera, after us getting on scene and trying to arrest one of these criminal legal aliens.
We usually make an arrest, five, six special agents, deportation officers.
Now we're having to go out with almost 15 law enforcement officers just to provide security for that team making that arrest.
So obviously, Minneapolis police were not coming to our help.
Minnesota State Police weren't coming to our help.
You know, yesterday there was a press conference from the Attorney General, Keith Ellison, and from the mayor that talked about the reason why they were suing DHS.
And they highlighted the fact that we're not in Texas or Florida or Utah.
Well, what I say to that is when we do conduct our operations down there, A, they are turning individuals over to us.
And B, if we have a situation like this, local and state law enforcement partners come to our aid and help federal law enforcement officers.
We're not seeing that.
So there are so many incidents that the mainstream media is showing that it's just totally unavoidable because of these violent agitators and protesters that are being fueled by such political rhetoric all across this country.
Now, Director Lyons, I've got some of the stats here as well.
And the numbers that I'm looking at, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it says Minnesota and Minneapolis officials have refused to honor over 1,360 ICE detainers.
And for folks who don't understand this, the way a detainer works is that means someone who's been arrested for something else that they just hold on to them in custody and then remand them to ICE.
Now, because they're not honoring these detainers, that's the reason why these operations have to take place.
But because in other states where you do have that level of local law enforcement cooperation, or I should say really local political cooperation, because that seems to be what the hangup is, these handoffs can happen at a jailhouse, it can happen at a courthouse, a prison site, something where it's safe, it's controlled.
But now when they're just letting them out into the public, that's what's creating such a dangerous situation, not just for your agents and officers in ICE HSI, but also for the public at large.
Do I have that right?
It's almost 1,500 that they haven't honored?
Yep, almost 1,500.
And if you look at it, right, Jack, you make a great point to the fact that I would much rather have the men and women of ICE go into a secure location.
You know, even if they don't want to hold them the 24, 48 hours for us to get there, just notify us that, hey, in the next two hours, we're going to release this individual and we will come meet them.
We'll meet you at the back door.
But one thing that you always hear about these agencies or state officials say, you know, they don't have to honor the ICE detainers, which they don't.
But what boggles my mind is the fact that these law enforcement agencies have already deemed this person a public safety threat.
You've already taken the actions and the steps to arrest and detain this individual.
Why would you not want to turn them over to the federal authorities that could then handle that case to the next step?
It absolutely makes no sense.
When they talk about sanctuary cities protecting the public and protecting neighborhoods, how are you protecting the public if you re-release a felon back into society?
And I'll go back to Secretary Noam's just recent ride along with us up in St. Paul.
And the case that was highlighted, it was an individual that was led in under the last administration.
It was known at the time that he had a conviction of 10 years plus for kidnapping, strangulation, and he was wanted in Ecuador for murder.
He came into the United States.
He is accused of sexual assault of a child in Connecticut, fled Connecticut with this open warrant, and was now roaming the streets working, hiding in plain sight in Minneapolis.
I don't know anybody that wants to argue with me on the fact that ICE isn't protecting children and protecting neighborhoods when we're out arresting people just like that.
And that's the 1,300 that you talk about.
You know, same day that Secretary Noam was out there, we had two individuals that were released from Rice County, which was close by.
They had been released for aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
So why would any politician want that individual back in their neighborhood?
And we see this again and again, just like the one out in Portland where, you know, at first we hear that it was a man and a woman.
Now it turns out there are a couple of trende arragua linked to some kind of sex trafficking operation, just some of the most horrible stuff.
that you see going on.
And it's clear, by the way, and I remember the last time you came on, that's exactly what we talked about.
You said that's the worst go first, that those are the individuals that are going to be focused on.
This isn't people who are just sort of, you know, running around.
It's actually people who have committed these heinous, violent crimes.
Now, when we look at that, Rick Ford, you mentioned the ramming attacks, and I wanted to drill down on that a little bit.
Obviously, we've seen the incident that's gone throughout the country, throughout the world.
People are talking about it.
But tell people about the ramming attacks that have gone on as a persistent trend, because this isn't the first time we've seen something like this, is it?
No, and unfortunately, it's really increased.
Within the past several weeks, we can narrow it down to the past three weeks.
We can say right up maybe the week before Christmas, we've seen OVA just alone with ICE, not counting our other federal partners, over 100 vehicle ramming assault incidents with the car.
We first saw this trend in maybe midsummer when we saw a lot of resistance, a lot of agitators, a lot of folks showing up at a law enforcement scene that had no right to be there.
And all of a sudden we have, you know, U.S. citizens, these other people injecting themselves into an ICE arrest and using their vehicle to ram or impede special agents and deportation officers, thinking that there weren't going to be any repercussions.
So in the beginning, we saw the first few and we just couldn't believe what was going on.
U.S. Attorney's Office was helping us.
They were making the arrest.
It was great.
But now it's just common, the norm.
Like you would think there's a playbook right now and that's what they're using.
And, you know, even the criminal legal aliens now know, go ahead and just ram ICE vehicles, take off, drive through fences, try to run officers over, because day in, day out, that's a constant tool and impediment we're seeing, not only in Minnesota, but all across the country.
Well, and certainly that it doesn't help when you have these disruptors that are showing up, clearly funded, clearly orchestrated, that are then aiding and abetting in the escape of these criminal illegal aliens.
Director Lyons, I know you have to run here, just have a minute left.
I did want to ask, though, we know there's an investigation now that's pending into the officer involved shooting.
Are you able to give us an update on that investigation at all?
Well, I can still, no, you know what I can say, Jack, is that we're working with our federal partners with the FBI, Department of Justice.
We're looking at all aspects of the case.
But hopefully, you know, there'll be a lot of lessons learned from this.
And I think on both sides, we have to go ahead and tone down this political rhetoric.
And unfortunately, I truly believe that that's what led to this unfortunate incident.
You know, our hearts, minds, and prayers go out to everyone that's involved.
No one ever wants to see a deadly force incident.
No law enforcement officer ever wants to be involved in a deadly force incident.
But the political rhetoric and the demonization of ICE has to stop.
And it has to stop with elected officials first.
Well, I couldn't agree more.
Director Lyons, thank you so much for your time.
And our thoughts and prayers go out to the efforts of your many agents and officers that are putting themselves in harm's way to take care of cleaning up our streets and cleaning up our country.
Thank you, Jack.
Again, we really appreciate your continued support.
And it was great seeing you again.
God bless you.
All right, folks, we'll be right back here, Human Events Daily.