ICYMI: ICE Director Lyons and Border Patrol Chief Bovino Pen Letter to the Editor at Chicago Tribune After Outlet Falsely Accused DHS of Targeting American Citizens

Letter sets the record straight about flagrantly false claims that DHS law enforcement targets Americans

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today highlighted Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons and Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol Greg Bovino's letter to the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune.

The letter is in response to an editorial that the Tribune published on September 17, titled, "ICE Must Leave U.S. Citizens Alone," that spread lies about ICE and border patrol agents. The Tribune's editorial comes as DHS law enforcement is conducting Operation Midway Blitz in Chiago, which has resulted at least 700 of arrests, including dangerous criminal illegal aliens.

The full letter can be found here and below.

"Your editorial on Wednesday September 17th titled, "ICE Must Leave U.S. Citizens Alone" deliberately spread lies about federal law enforcement while ignoring the thousands of Americans who have been victimized by illegal alien crime.

Instead of recognizing the risks law enforcement takes to get dangerous criminals off the streets, the Tribune attacked officers and agents for carrying out standard law enforcement practices.

Here are the facts. During an operation in Elgin, Illinois on Tuesday, September 16th, federal law enforcement executed a warrant on a house as part of Operation Midway Blitz, which honors illegal alien crime victim Katie Abraham. The Trump Administration launched this operation to protect Americans from the criminal illegal aliens shielded by Illinois' sanctuary policies. Officers and agents arrested five illegal aliens, including individuals convicted or arrested for crimes like a DUI with a child passenger, violent assault, domestic violence, and felony stalking.

While executing the warrant, law enforcement temporarily secured two U.S. citizens who were in the house at the time. This is standard practice for all law enforcement. Breaching buildings is dangerous business. Securing all individuals in a house while executing a warrant is standard because it protects those who are not the intended target of the warrant. People often act erratically during police operations and jeopardize the safety of all involved. Securing non-targets decreases the likelihood of that danger.

The Tribune's editors should know full well that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are facing a 1000% increase in attacks, just as we saw over the weekend at Broadview processing facility. Violent rioters slashed tires and threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at law enforcement officers. Brazen lies like the ones in Wednesday's editorial contribute directly to this increase.

DHS law enforcement put their lives on the line every single day to keep Americans safe. The Tribune should be thanking the men and women who are cleaning up our communities and restoring the rule of law.

Rapists, murderers, pedophiles, and other dangerous criminal illegal aliens are now off Illinois' streets because of these officers. No American should be forced to share their community with criminals who shouldn't even be here in the first place. President Trump and Secretary Noem are standing up for the rule of law everywhere. They are protecting law-abiding Americans and law enforcement officers while doing so. An honest account of the facts would show that."

The media's blatantly false smears against ICE are leading to a 1000% increase in assaults against officers. Earlier this week, Secretary Noem released a statement following an attack by a gunman at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, asking the media and politicians to turn down the temperature on rhetoric that is inspiring violent attacks across the country.