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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons told lawmakers that the agency is tracking about 1.6 million people in the United States who have final deportation orders, including about 800,000 who have criminal convictions.
Lyons made the comments on Thursday during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he was questioned on ICE's enforcement priorities, use of body‑worn cameras and oversight of agents.
The issue of interior immigration enforcement has been politically contentious, particularly as ICE activity has drawn scrutiny for its scale and impact on communities. The hearings come as the Trump administration's top immigration officials face increased scrutiny after federal agents shot and killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, during operations in Minneapolis.
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During the hearing, Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma pressed Lyons on the proportion of individuals in removal processes who had final orders of removal.
Lankford said at the hearing, "What percentage of folks that actually have a detainer put on them nationwide or that are in removal processes have a final order of removal? Does anyone know that number, that percentage?"
"No, sir, not the percentage," Lyons said, adding, "What we're tracking right now is about 1.6 million final orders in the United States, right, approximately 800,000 of those having criminal convictions."
Lyons added that the figure represented individuals who had removal orders issued by immigration judges within the Department of Justice system, not directly by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Lyons, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph Edlow, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott first appeared on Tuesday before the House Committee on Homeland Security as part of oversight hearings on federal immigration enforcement. They returned for a second session on Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where lawmakers pressed them on the deaths of Good and Pretti and other enforcement policies.
The Senate hearing also included testimony from a panel of Minnesota officials: Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat; Republican U.S. Representative Tom Emmer; Republican state Representative Harry Niska; and Paul Schnell, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Lyons and Scott repeatedly declined to provide detailed accounts of the two fatal shootings. Lawmakers pressed the officials for information, but both men said they were constrained by ongoing investigations into the incidents.
Thursday's Senate hearing was chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who leads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Scott told the committee that body‑worn camera footage from agents involved in Pretti's shooting was being reviewed and would be released.
"There's body cam video that's all being looked at. And until all that evidence is evaluated, I can't jump to a conclusion in either direction. I would ask America to do the same thing," Scott said. "But I am committed to transparency, to making sure all the information we have is made public when it's appropriate."
"So you will release the officers' cameras?" Paul asked.
"Yes," Scott said.
Lyons said ICE had conducted 37 internal investigations into officers' use of force over the past year. He also told senators that of those cases, 18 had been closed and 19 remained pending or had been referred for further examination.
Meanwhile, White House border czar Tom Homan said on Thursday that the large deployment of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge was drawing to a close, with a significant reduction of personnel already underway following weeks of protests.
Less than 14 percent of the almost 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE in President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal DHS document obtained by CBS News.
The outlet reported that almost 60 percent of individuals arrested by ICE over the past year had some form of criminal charge or conviction. However, the majority of these charges or convictions were not for violent offenses, the report said.
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