Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons says he will not block agents from wearing masks

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons on Friday stated he would not stop ICE personnel from wearing masks when making arrests, but admitted that he was not a "proponent" of masks.

The comment comes after ICE officials faced pushback from Democratic lawmakers over the use of masks while on duty, after a video surfaced that Democrats claimed showed ICE officials arresting migrants while concealing their identities.

Lyons admitted that he was concerned impostors could exploit the process by posing as immigration agents, but that he would also not ban agents from wearing masks if they felt it would protect them and their families.

"I've said it publicly before, I'm not a proponent of the masks," Lyons told CBS News in an interview that will air Sunday. "However, if that's a tool that the men and women of ICE, to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it."

The interview comes after a series of attacks on immigration officials, including two shootings at ICE facilities in Texas earlier this month. 

The Department of Homeland Security has also reported that attacks against ICE officials have increased by more than 800% this year compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

Lyons said the rise in attacks could be partly attributed to the visibility of ICE officials under the Trump administration. The acting-director claimed that his teams are forced to go into communities more often because sanctuary cities will not allow local law enforcement to help out.

"So you are seeing us out more, and I think there is more of a tension," Lyons said. "The immigration mission is one of the forefront of this administration, so it is a lot of scrutiny and publicity to it."

The ICE head also confirmed that his agency will use Medicaid information to locate people suspected of living in the United States illegally. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.