WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to appear in court on Friday to explain why the agency has not
complied with court orders as it carries out President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which has led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
* As acting ICE director, Lyons oversees an agency with morethan 27,400 people, an annual budget of nearly $10 billion andmore than $74 billion in funding from the "One Big BeautifulBill" that Trump signed into law last year, according to the ICEwebsite. The bill funds Trump's immigration crackdown, amongother measures. * Before being appointed acting chief of ICE in March 2025,Lyons served as the executive associate director of the agency'sEnforcement and Removal Operations directorate. In that role, heled efforts to arrest and remove migrants who came to the U.S.illegally, according to his official biography. * Lyons held other roles at the Enforcement and RemovalOperations directorate, including assistant director of fieldoperations and deputy assistant director of western operationsand the southwest border, among other positions. He started withthe directorate as an immigration enforcement agent in Dallas. * Lyons joined the federal service in 1993 with the U.S. AirForce and served in South Korea, Southeast Asia and Europe. Hemoved to law enforcement in 1999 before being recalled to activeduty after September 11, 2001, according to his biography.(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
