January 8, 2025 • 39 mins
The recent arrest of an undocumented immigrant who was busted at a state-run emergency shelter in Revere with $1 million worth of fentanyl and an AR-15 has reemphasized the need, as Gov. Maura Healey herself said, “for a border security bill to prevent criminals from entering our communities”. Todd Lyons, the National Assistant Director of ICE joined Dan to discuss the situation.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night time with Dan Ray on waz Boston News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
All right, I want to welcome back to the program
guest who has joined us several times over the years,
todd Lyons. Todd is with ICE. He's been with ICE,
Todd now for how many years.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Going on almost seventeen years now.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
All right, and you are the National Assistant Director of
ICE for field operations. Explain to us what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
So how arey I'm I'm talking Dad. I'm the senior
executive over immigration enforcement and forced to remove operations. So
in the past, Dan, you've had me on talking about
what RO does. E RO does is the law enforcement
enforcement arm of ICE. We handle all this immigration with
the United States. I currently oversee all twenty five ICE
(00:59):
field offices in all fifty states, in all the US territories.
I used to be the field office strict up here
in Boston, which covered all of New England. So I'm
still really tied in and familiar with all the issues
that the Commonwealth and Massachusetts are dealing with now with
a lot of our sanctuary policies and immigration issues. In
(01:20):
regards to law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
The the the enforcement policies have they changed here in
Massachusetts with the change of administrations between the Baker administration
and the Healthy administration.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
In your opinion, yeah, I think they have you know,
one thing, and you and I have talked about this
in the past. Immigration enforcement is one of the few
law federal law enforcement agencies that evan flows with the
tides of administration. So every four to eight years and
(02:00):
ICE officer or an agent could be doing their job differently.
Our priorities that are still the same federally. Our three
main focuses are national security and terrorism threats, public safety
threats and egregious crimes, and recent border entrants. In the
Commonwealth specifically, you know, Massachusetts and Boston, it's become a
(02:23):
lot harder for ICE specifically ERO officers to do their
job up here and really focus on public safety threats
that are out there in the communities.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, recently there was a report released. The Boston Globe
sought the report, the state Republican Party sought the report,
and the report was finally released, so three hundred page
report and the Globe the Herald did the story this morning,
(02:57):
and the Globe will be doing this this story tomorrow
because they released a report late this afternoon and basically.
According to the Globe, the drug arrest, domestic violence rapes,
more than a thousand serious incidents reported at Massachusetts shelters.
(03:18):
Now important to say that not everyone at a Massachusetts
shelter is someone who is here on an immigration or
legal immigration status, because there are people who stay in
shelters for which the law was originally written back in
nineteen eighty three, passed and signed by Governor Decacus in
nineteen eighty three so that women and children in Massachusetts
(03:41):
would never be unhoused. But that's a lot of serious
incidents over the last couple of years at Massachusetts shelters,
and some of them, obviously, I think they're all serious.
The Globe headline says they're serious, but some are more
serious than others. Some deal with, you know, a disagreement
(04:02):
or a fight, a couple of guys you know get
you know, getting in into a boxing match in the
lobby of a hotel not particularly pleasant, don't get me wrong.
But when you compare you know, rapes and rapes of
minor children, it gets really serious. How are these immigrants
here who were here and are being accommodated when they
(04:25):
break the law? I mean, you had the guy down
in I think it was Rockland who was accused of
raping a young girl. Are you getting much cooperation here
from Massachusetts or no?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
No, Dan.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And actually the reports that you've seen and that the
Herald and the Global reporting on they obviously have the redacted,
blacked out versions. Unfortunately, that's what E. Ro O sees.
We didn't know about. Oh. I would say almost ninety
percent of all those serious incidents addressed in those reports,
Ice was never notified about any of them. We don't
(05:03):
have that cooperation and communication with the state. So for instance,
the Rockland case that you had referenced, the rape case
and PbD that was high profile, and now the new
one with Revere PD and the ar fifteen and the
five kilos of Fennel. Luckily Revere PD reached out to us.
You have a great partnership with them. But the other
(05:25):
ones were all from biometric hits on fingerprints after they
were arrested, so we weren't even notified by the state.
You know, it's with good partners like Revere that actually
realized with a serious crime and they wanted that individual,
you know, out of their community that they reached out
to us.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Five kilos of fentanyl in the Revere case. I believe
alo was two point two pounds. If my life, if
I remember from my high school math classes, that's like
ten or eleven pounds of fenta.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Yes, correct, and it's almost a million dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, Well, how much fentonyl how much damage could ten
point two pounds or ten pounds of fen or eleven
pounds of fentanyl do in a population of six point
seven million people, which is the number of people who
live here in the Cornwalth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Well, recently fentanyl has been rated as and considered a
weapon of mass destruction. It could pretty much wipe out
almost half the population in Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
You know, this is necessarious stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
When we get back, Todd, I'd like to have some
folks ask your questions, take some phone calls, because your
job has not been been an easy job. It's going
to change with the administration, I believe, come January twentieth,
and I'd like to focus on where you think ICE
(06:58):
will be focusing. I have SoundBite here before we go
from former Senator Hillary Clinton, and it just kind of
shows how over time different politicians have changed their viewpoint.
In this SoundBite from Hillary Clinton, it only goes about thirty.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Seconds or so.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I think she says what most people in America feel,
particularly as it refers to serious crimes and criminal activity.
So this is Hillary Clinton. I don't know if Hillary
Clinton would articulate this today as she articulated a few
years ago.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Rob please play this Hillary Clinton SoundBite.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
I think we got to have tough conditions. Tell people
to come out of the shadows. If they've committed a crime,
deport them, no questions asked, They're gone.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
If they.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
If they've been working in our law abiding we should say,
here are the conditions for you. You have to pay
a stiff fine because you came here illegally. You have
to pay back taxes, and you have to try to
learn English, and you have to wait in line.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
I don't know that she'd be saying that today, Todge.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And it's to me, it's frustrating when a politician stakes
out a position and then because maybe the leadership in
her party or his or her party changes that position,
they change the position. How frustrating is it, you know,
without criticizing either party here, but how frustrating is it
(08:38):
to hear a politician one day say that and just
a few years later, never possibly say that again.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Oh, it's extremely frustrating for us, especially when we're out
there every day trying to track down those exact people
she's talking about in that clip, the ones that are criminals,
that are committee various crimes. No one will ever argue
about ICE arresting and deporting and illegal child sex offender.
(09:09):
And that's what we're doing. And luckily you've given me
a platform along with some other media outlets, actually champion
the good work that ICE in Ero have done in Massachusetts.
So I think a lot of people know that's exactly
what we're doing, is arresting these public safety threats. But
when the political tide shift, it really makes our job difficult.
(09:32):
And it's so frustrating for us because it's never good
to demonize a law enforcement agency, and unfortunately that's what's
happened to us over the past eight to ten years.
It's been an uphill battle.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It was funny back in about two thouy and eleven,
there was a governor in Arizona. Her name was Jan Brewer.
She's a Republican, and she tried to pass some laws
in Arizona which would actually have been tougher than the
federal laws, and her effort was struck down by the
Supreme Court in the state in the US versus Arizona decision,
(10:09):
saying that basically federal law on immigration preempted any possible
state laws. So now we have quite the opposite. We
have democratic governors who are trying to preempt the federal
position on immigration laws. And I suspect that that may
(10:29):
once again continue a couple of weeks from now when
the immigration law changes in Massachusetts. So I'll leave that
question hanging, and I'll invite people to join the conversation
and if they'd like to call and commend you for
the work that you've done under some very difficult circumstances.
I hope some of the folks will take that opportunity.
Those circumstances might change a little bit in a couple
(10:51):
of weeks, and if anyone has questions as to what's
going to happen and what the focus and what the
primary focus of ICE will be after January twentieth, I'd
like to get that clarified as well. My guest is
todd Lyons. He has been with ICE now for seventeen
(11:12):
or eighteen years. He's the National Assistant Director of ICE
for local Operations and Enforcement, and if you'd like to
join the conversation six months seven two, five four to
ten thirty. Six months seven nine, three one ten thirty,
we'll be right back on Nightside with Todd Lyons, who,
along with other members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, put
(11:34):
their lives on the line every day, as most law
enforcement officers do in this country to keep our community safe.
And for that we need to be very very thankful
that there are men like men and women like todd
Lyons out there willing to step into that breach. Back
on Nightside, feel free to join the conversation right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios, News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
My guess is Todd Lyons. He's the National Assistant Director
of Field Operations for ICE and a few days from
now the national leadership of ICE. They will change with
the change of a new administration. Is your sense, Todd
that things are going to change or do you feel
(12:22):
that things will.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Stay the same.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
No, I think it's going to change.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Dan.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
We're already seeing the needle move. We've had a lot
of jurisdictions, a lot of municipalities around the country reach
out and want to know how they can work with ICE.
What we've seen, they want to do a lot of
intelligent sharing. So I do think that the public has
(12:51):
come to appreciate what we do. I think before there
was such a satism associated with immigration enforcement and what
we were doing. I think that by you know yourself,
if you were one of the first programs that was
ever on that you invited me on, we had a
really good conversation about both sides of the immigration issue.
(13:13):
When people actually hear what we do, I think they
have a better failing knowing what the new administration is
going to be doing, because we're going to be focusing
on those public safety threats, those national security threats. And
I think that more and more of these stories that
come out, especially one of them, the agregious and the
(13:33):
heinous ones, I do think that we are going to
get more support. But I also know there are there
are going to be many roblocks ahead too as well.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Yeah, I suspect it is that the battle will continue.
Let's get some phone calls going here for you. Let
me go to Jim and East Boston first. Jim, you
were first tonight with todd Lyons of Ice School.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Right ahead, Jim, Hey, thank you for having me on
your show. I'm a first time caller and I listen
to you all the time. My lifelong Massachusetts resident.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I got to get you a rounding across as the
first that call from a vircial studio audience. And congratulations.
Thanks Jim Garrett. Ahead, I'm sorry, just having a little
bit of fun.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
I'm very concerned about the influx of all the of
Massachusetts being you know, hobboring, hobboring, you know, illegals. You know,
I come from a family that had you know, my
mother had six brothers, six sisters, and it was you know,
the wait in line and do it the right way,
and everybody had to come over the right way. And
it's hobboring. Just st up hearing Revere just up here
(14:35):
and Revere in a shelter. They had an illegal immigrant
undocumented with a kay's and uh, you know, drugs and
fetanohl and also at the paraphernalia right up and here
in Revere, in my own backyard. And I'm concerned that
the governor of this state doesn't understand the situation, and
it's going to be a bubble effect. It's going to
(14:56):
you know, the residents of Massachusetts are paying for all
the all the all the all the all the illegal
immigrants that that I here. I mean, you go to
the Reggie Lewis Center, you know, and and a place
you know in Boston, you know that's supposed to be
for the inner city youth kids, and it's you know,
it's a shelter for for illegal immigrants. And it's sad
(15:16):
because I don't know.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
That the Reggie Lewis Center, Uh, to be honest with
the Jim.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
If it was, there was a community center which was
closed for many months and used as a shelter that
has now been been reopened. Uh and uh, I just
you know, again, I just want to be accurate. I
do not believe the Reggie Lewis Center was ever impacted
by this. But but I understand the points you're making.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
Well, even still like our hotels, you know, some of
the hotels right up there on Leena Cass Boulevard, it's
a drug haven area as it is. And uh, you know,
for me personally, you know, since since Romney's we had
we had Democrats running this state. And I believe that
you know, it's falling a part at the scenes. It
(15:59):
really is, you know, we we have to we have
to get back to to to the basics. I mean,
I believe, you know, everybody has the right for you know, life,
libery to pursue the happiness. But there's there's a way
of doing things. And you know they they do these
Harbern States as a as a place to go to.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I want you to, you know, just talk to Todd
Lyons for a second. He's he's been doing this for
his career. Uh, and he.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Is naming common Hey, how are you doing?
Speaker 7 (16:32):
Yeah, I'm very your plate.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I myself born and raised in South Boston, Massachusetts resident.
My family's hair like you, We've all had family to
come the right way, come over here for a better life.
And that's what we're you know, we we don't want
to stand by these people, these criminal aliens that take
advantage of our system, that hide in plain sight, that
are foreign fugitives that are fleeing justice from their own country.
(16:58):
They come in here and terrorized not only our communities,
but the immigrant community as well. That some of these
migrants that are fleeing persecution or trying to have a
better life, fleeing these crimes that these want of gang members.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
So so how do we so how do we how
do we stop stop the hobboring of like Okay, I
understand you know Trump was going to say, Okay, you know,
you want to have a uh, you know, illegals, and
you're not going to get any federal assistance. You know.
But like at the end of the day, that's punt
us in you know, Massachusetts residents. Now we all you know,
(17:37):
you know, the majority of the residents living in Massachusetts,
you know, they don't want to have a you know, uh,
you know, they don't want to have a fugitives and
they don't want to have illegals. We wanted the Queen City.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Jim, in fairness to todd lyons, we elect politicians in
this state who then make decisions about policies, and uh
uh maybe people have to start looking at some of
these elections.
Speaker 7 (18:03):
Oh yeah, I think the I think the thing is, let.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Me take your question, Let me take your question, Jim,
and let me shop in it a little bit.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Todd When all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
The administrations change and and you folks find out about
some criminal alien here who has done something horrendous, not
some criminal alien who was arrested for jaywalking, but for
some criminal alien who has done something horrendous. Do you
think that the administration here will will look at it
(18:36):
a little differently after January twentieth, I'm talking about the
administration in Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yeah, Dan, I do. I honestly think that, you know,
having the opportunity to explain exactly what we're doing and
you know what exactly we are looking for. I think
pulling back that curtain is going to do a lot.
One of the first things that we are really striving
for and that I want, what I've been pushing at
(19:03):
my level, is to really move forward with these open
lines of communication, because that's one of the hugest problems
kind of like I mentioned when we were first talking
at the beginning of this, that report that the Massachusetts
GOP had to get through a Freedom of Information Act.
That's the same to for we would see, you know,
they should, you know, jurisdictions, elected officials, entities should give
(19:29):
us those reports and work with us so we could
be that bet at partner. So I think the first
step has got to be opening up those lines of
communication and really having those hard conversations about what we
can do to help each other, all.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Right, Jim, I think you got to give them a
chance here and see what happens. I think I'm hoping
that there is an appreciation of the intent and the purpose.
The intent on the purpose of ICE is not to
separate families. It's not to pull little kids out of
the arms of their parents. Their intent is to get
(20:05):
rid of the hardcore curve criminals who are here, people
like who are members of MS thirteen who are living
in your community. Jim, That's who ICE is going to
go after. And I and I think Todd has got
a big job in front of him, and ICE has
a big job in front of him. But they're not
looking to go in and and and separate families. They're
(20:25):
looking to go in and separate hardcore criminals from our society.
Yes or no, Todd, Jim, I'll give you a fine
a word, go ahead, Jim.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Well, I want to say, how do they how are
they venting the people that are here now, I mean,
just recently, an undocumented you know, in a in a shelter,
mind you, for that reason of being homeless, undocumented. I mean,
how how are we you know, vetting vetting these people
that that's up.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
That is not uh Todd's responsibility. That's what the state does.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Uh No, I understand it. But you got you got,
you got, you know, Governor Healy.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And you know, here's the thing, Jim, Jim, We've gone
seven or eight minutes here. I'm well into my news break.
I got to take my news break. Some of the
other callers are going to back you up here. Todd
Lyons is not your enemy. Todd Lyons is your friend
on this one. So trust me on that, okay, and
keep listening to night Side. Thank you, Tom, thank you
very much.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
To thank you, Thank you very much, Ben, thank you.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
You're welcome. Thank Tod. Stay right there.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I want to get some more phone calls six one, seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty six one, seven, nine thirty. If
you understand what we're talking about, I would employ you
to join the conversation. We'll be back up Nightside with
todd Lyons of ICE's been with them for a long time.
Uh And I think a lot of the restrictions that
(21:54):
have been placed on him here in Massachusetts will be
come January twentieth and beyond. Back on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
This side with Dan ray On WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
My guess is todd Lyons. Todd has been with ICE
now for eighteen years, local guy, and he he now
is the assistant the National Assistant Director of ICE for
field operations, which means he is moving up the chain
of command. And I think that you will be appreciative
(22:36):
of how he conducts himself as he moves up the
chain of command. Let's go next to Tom in West Virginia. Tom,
you're next on nightside with todd Lyons. Go righthead, Tom.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
Yeah, No, I have no argument with what ICE does.
The problem is is that it comes down from the
the administration, and we have governors like our wonder like
the I don't vote messed, but the wonderful governor Mara
Heey that ask people like me, if you have a
(23:10):
spare bedroom, perhaps you could put up a migrant one family,
one family in Brookline on a migrant family.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (23:23):
So, I just don't want to hear it from people
like Maura Heey.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, I want to focus on where you think I
should go in the next few weeks and a few months,
because the leadership financial leadership is going to change.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
Yeah, obviously, get rid of these illegals that have committed
crimes that disobey our laws. I mean, this is ridiculous.
I would not even consider going to New York City
and riding the subway train from what I see. No,
not at all. And for this this attitude of that,
(24:01):
well crime is down, actually, and immigrants create less crime
than native born Americans. I don't know if that's true.
That's an NPR narrative. And as far as I'm concerned, well,
you know something, if we didn't have illegal immigrants that
were here that were committing crimes, there would be lower crime.
(24:22):
That's not you don't have to be George Carlin to
figure that out.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
No, yeah, absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And look, you have people like Raleigh Laken, the the
Georgia College student who would be alive today if that
individual who allegedly killed her never was allowed back into
the country. And that's that's a situation that it's totally irreversible.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
Of course. And I'll tell you something to Dan that
I've noticed. I still own a house in Brockton. I
go back and forth from Brocken, Virginia, Philippine.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
You know that.
Speaker 8 (25:01):
But the point being is that I've noticed over the
last year that just you know, for me, just observing,
I've seen three people the last time I was in
Brockton blatantly run red lights twice, blatantly run stop signs.
I don't know if they're immigrants or not. I just
don't know. But I've owned that house since twenty eleven.
(25:25):
I never saw that before, and it's like, what's going
on here?
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Well again, if you have a question for Tod Lyons
or a word.
Speaker 8 (25:34):
Of eva, No, I don't have the question. Todd, you
will do fine. And you know something, just get rid
of the criminals. Continue what you're doing, and hopefully we'll
have a government that will unshackle the things that need
to be done to make this a safer country. And
(25:54):
God bless you for looking out for the public interest.
You know, guys like you are the heroes.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
No, Tom, I really appreciate that. And kind of to
your point, you know, we actually really don't know the
percentages when it comes to uh, you know, non citizens
committing crimes. But we have enough American born, orn and
raised criminals we don't need anymore. If we have the
opportunity to get rid of these bad actors, I think
that's a thing.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Yeah, And that's exactly what I believe they're gonna do.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
And and Tom, I hope that.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Whoever's you know, you're superiors at ICE and whatever position
you have, if you were running ICE, I know what
would happen.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I just hope that no one makes the mistake.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Of saying, well, we're gonna we're gonna pick the low
hanging fruit and we're gonna go get a mom and
her two kids, you know, who are here illegally. Let's
get Let's get the bad guys out first. And I
think that there'll be a lot more support for the
efforts as a consequence. Tom has always I appreciate you
calls joining us from West Virginia.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
Take the guys, thanks very much.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I want to go to got to go to Florida.
Marty is in Saint Augustine, Florida. Marty, you were next
on Nightside with a fellow member of law enforcement, Todd Lions.
Speaker 9 (27:10):
Go right ahead, Marty, all right, Hey Todd a former
law enforcement twenty year New York City housing police. I
wanted to say that the thing about what he called
the sanctuaries, I want to refer to Nassau and Suffolk
County on Long Island before Donald Trump made his first election.
(27:31):
They were both sanctuary counties and there was a lot
of activity with MS thirteen Riya Sanchez, which comes from Salvador.
You you had dealings with them, right.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Todd, yep yepent You were correctly right.
Speaker 9 (27:48):
So anyway, what happened was coincidence or whatever. They both
became unsanctuary. Now I'm going to say this and don't
take offense, but the saving grace about MS thirteen was
it was an Internissan thing. They were killing their own members. Whatever,
They didn't do too much damage to the locals anyway.
(28:10):
Now I'm going to refer you to the country of
El Salvador.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Up here money they were impacting non members of em
as AT thirteen. If you get out of line and
you remember of MS AT thirteen, you had a problem.
But they were making money off of robbing other people.
Believe me, they were not coming here and living monastic
existences in monasteries, only interacting with their fellow members.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
Trust me on that. I think Todd helped me up
on that one.
Speaker 9 (28:41):
The interesting thing now is in the country is El Salvador.
The president supposedly locked up all of the gang members.
According to what I see on YouTube, and they've transformed
El Salvador, which has about three million people, into one
of the safest places on earth. And I think it's
a shame that my home city of New York is
(29:03):
just playing games. Can I ask you a question.
Speaker 8 (29:06):
Dan or Todd?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Todd?
Speaker 9 (29:08):
How do how do they how do they designate a
city or whatever as a sanctuary state? How did they
go about doing a sanctuary city? How did he go about?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
It's done by the local officials. Money, that's that's the
local officials that do it. That's what they they've done.
Wherever they've done this, they call themselves welcoming cities, called
themselves sanctuary cities that they have. Some places here in
Massachusetts where they have welcome they call them newcomers. It's
all euphemisms. You know, let's let us welcome our newcomers.
(29:40):
They don't call anymore.
Speaker 8 (29:43):
Well, what they've done.
Speaker 9 (29:44):
I used to live in San Francisco for two months
when I was in the Army. Can't go there anymore.
I was in New York about two weeks ago. Out
in the island. I can't stand New York and I
can't stand the people of New York who are probably
going to elect either Adams or Cuomo. Now Curtis Sliwa
is crude, but he would make a good mayor. But anyway,
(30:06):
I wanted good luck with that.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Good luck with that anyway.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Hey, Marty, I got to keep running here because I'm
way past my break. I got you before the break.
Thanks Marty, appreciate it. Yeah, Todd, you know, everybody has
a different view of how they should handle it. I
mean MS MS thirteen was carousing huge problems here in
uh In, in northeastern Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, Dn, And but right now they've
been if you can believe it, they're being overshadowed by
Trenda Ragua oh yeah, which is now now the new
public Oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It's it's like it's like watching Worldwide Wrestling, you know,
one year it's Killer Kowalski, and then it's Hulk Hogan,
and then it's some other guy who's the toughest guy
in the block. I mean that that group out of
Venzuela and what they're doing in Colorado is just incredible.
I just think that there's there's a lot of targets
that that ICE is going to be able to take
(31:03):
out and significantly make America a safer place, and I
think you're going to be applauded. And I think that,
you know, kind of like that dog that used to
always kind of be in the corner of the room
because at some point whenever people would walk in the room,
that kick the dog.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
You guys, I.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Think are going to be received much more positively in
the weeks and months ahead than you can actually imagine.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
I really believe that it'll.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Be interesting to see how the media covers the bus too.
By the way, as I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
You know, Yeah, I totally agree with you, Dan, and
I definitely think we have enough criminal aliens in Massachusetts
that'll keep us busy for a very long time. And
that's a sad fact, but it sounds like a talking point.
But every day and the Boston Field off as those
men and women have to make the decision are they
going to arrest the fentanyl dealer or the sex because
(32:00):
there's not enough resource up here to get both.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Yeah, let's take a quick break, doub will take a
quick break, got a couple more phone calls, we'll wrap
it up on the other side of this break. A
couple of minutes back with todd lyons of Ice, eighteen
year vegan of ICE, and he is I think destined
for some leadership post. He's currently right now the National
Assistant director of ICE for field operations across the country.
(32:25):
Back on Nightside with Todd Lyons back after this.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Todd Lions is my guess, Luciano, we're a little tight
on time. You're next on Nightside Luciana with Pennsylvania. Go ahead, Luciano, Yeah, thank.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
You for taking my car.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Oh that como start.
Speaker 10 (32:46):
I'm glad that my family lives in Arlington, Texas.
Speaker 8 (32:49):
I'm here in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 10 (32:50):
I'm glad that the Democratic Party is being shocked by
Latinos throughout California, throughout the country. Latinos are abandoning, finally,
the Democratic. They do not support real Americans like Mexican
American Chicanos, Puerto Ricans and Cubans and Dominicans. We've abandoning
the Democratic on please buy that we need to stripped
(33:12):
all these sank.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
O, Katie Lucian and we're not doing a Democratic Republican
thing here tonight. But I appreciate your point of view.
Nonetheless as always appreciate your call. Let's keep going, gonna
go to gonna go to Lou and West Roxbury. Lou,
you gotta wrap it up for us.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Go ahead, Lou Bank Todd, congratulations for being part of
the new Trump administration and all the work. And we
always loved having you in West Roxbury.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Thank you. I might love that you gave me that Pam,
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Uh. I want to make a plug for ICE to
do more investigation on OPT students. You know, we have
twenty eight thousand, almost thirty thousand OPT students that come
from China and they're they're in our schools in Greater Boston.
(34:04):
We have no idea of the security clearance of these
Chinese nationals. And I think the OPT program has got
a lot of fraud. Is their plans?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Explain the uh, Lou, do me a favorite. Explain what
OPT programmed, audience, because I'm unfamiliar with it, and I
suspect there might be some in my audience who are
unfamiliar with the acronym.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
OPT is optional practical training. Students from foreign countries can
come into the United States, get a slot in an
American college, then they get hired when they graduate, they
can get hired by American corporations, and those corporations get
a tax break for hiring those kids over American kids.
(34:51):
They don't have to pay Social Security taxes and other taxes.
It's crazy that we would put foreign students ahead of
our own ship. And Northeastern is one of the biggest
in the country. Harvard's one of the biggest in the country.
Be used, one of the biggest in the country.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
So one of the benefits, it sounds to me, lou like,
one of the benefits is that the employer can hire
the individual who's a foreign student, and that foreign student
doesn't have to pay Social Security taxes, and therefore the
employer does not have to pay the matching so security
tax Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Correct?
Speaker 5 (35:29):
Well?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
That, let me tell you that's something I was unaware of,
and I'm going to look into that more, Todd. That
is kind of outside of Todd's Baileywick I think, but boy,
that's it.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
That's that seems to me like.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
An a no, no, there's there's fraud in the program
that ICES has targeted before.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Okay, let me get Todd to respond, Hold on, go ahead, Todd, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
No, data lude that you're correct, and one of the
main things now that we are going to focus on
is like I said earlier when I was talking about
those public and national security threats, and what we're really
focused on when it come to these programs, especially with
our F one student programs, is really focusing on those
inside of threats when it comes to for national stealing
(36:15):
and tout elegance, trade right spionage. So there will definitely
be a crackedout, especially with the betting with what we
can do to bet national secrets, which a lot of
the technology schools here in Massachusets focus on and have
contracts with. So will you will see a heavier enforcement
hand when it comes down to our student population as well,
(36:39):
really focusing on those national security threats. I'm so glad
to hear it, Quinn.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
Last thing, Bostonians against sanctuary Cities would love to have
you and Tom home and come and speak in Boston
and give more Healy and mayor Wu the what for
from a local stage, So come on back home.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
We appreciate it. Yeah, we appreciate it, Low And I'm
happy you brought that up because the thank Cray policies,
especially one like the Trust Act in Boston that's really
really disheartening for us. We were really it was really
on a sour note to start the year to see,
you know, a local law enforcement agency take a victory
lap about publicly praising that they didn't work with Ice
(37:25):
and he's talk you're talking.
Speaker 5 (37:26):
About the Boston Police Department taking that victory lap.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Correct, Yeah, right, And.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
It must have been heartbreaking for you, because it was
heartbreaking for everybody in the city, including Latinos and Hispanics
like that other caller, to see that every single Boston
City councilor voted to endorse.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
The Trust Act again. Well, and one thing, Lou you
got to see is we actually did appress lead tonight.
That will come out here and it's out right now.
You'll see that in actuality. The Boston Police Department not
only did they honor not honor, fifteen detainers, but it
was actually one hundred and ninety eight.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
So we did the secretise with them in twenty thirteen. Yeah,
so there was way more than it was. It was
crimes that ranged all the way from attempted murder, assault
and a law enforcement officer trafficking heroin sexual assault.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Well, as President Obama once said, one said elections have consequences,
and that's the consequence. By the way, Massachusetts, I believe
the governor is correct, technically is not a sanctuary state.
But Boston with the Trust Act, is a sanctuary city,
no question about that.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Lou.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
Thank you for your call up to your alliance.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Thank you for your work, thank you for your commitment
to keeping this country a lot safer. Really appreciate you
coming on tonight, and we will talk soon, my friend,
and hopefully talk frequently. Okay, and best of luck as
the as the days come off the calendar.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Yeah, Dan, thank you so much. You've been a great partner.
Really appreciate you. Let me champion the women amount of vice.
We really appreciate you, so thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
You're welcome anytime. We'll have you back soon. Thanks Tom,
talk to soon, Thanks very very much. When we get back,
we're going to talk to our Canadian listeners about Justin
Trudeau's decision to step down as the leader of the
Liberal Party and eventually to step aside as the Prime minister.
He's kind of doing in a different way, but with
(39:26):
Joe Biden back on nightside after the eleven o'clock News
It's night time with Dan Ray on waz Boston News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
All right, I want to welcome back to the program
guest who has joined us several times over the years,
todd Lyons. Todd is with ICE. He's been with ICE,
Todd now for how many years.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Going on almost seventeen years now.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
All right, and you are the National Assistant Director of
ICE for field operations. Explain to us what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
So how arey I'm I'm talking Dad. I'm the senior
executive over immigration enforcement and forced to remove operations. So
in the past, Dan, you've had me on talking about
what RO does. E RO does is the law enforcement
enforcement arm of ICE. We handle all this immigration with
the United States. I currently oversee all twenty five ICE
(00:59):
field offices in all fifty states, in all the US territories.
I used to be the field office strict up here
in Boston, which covered all of New England. So I'm
still really tied in and familiar with all the issues
that the Commonwealth and Massachusetts are dealing with now with
a lot of our sanctuary policies and immigration issues. In
(01:20):
regards to law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
The the the enforcement policies have they changed here in
Massachusetts with the change of administrations between the Baker administration
and the Healthy administration.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
In your opinion, yeah, I think they have you know,
one thing, and you and I have talked about this
in the past. Immigration enforcement is one of the few
law federal law enforcement agencies that evan flows with the
tides of administration. So every four to eight years and
(02:00):
ICE officer or an agent could be doing their job differently.
Our priorities that are still the same federally. Our three
main focuses are national security and terrorism threats, public safety
threats and egregious crimes, and recent border entrants. In the
Commonwealth specifically, you know, Massachusetts and Boston, it's become a
(02:23):
lot harder for ICE specifically ERO officers to do their
job up here and really focus on public safety threats
that are out there in the communities.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, recently there was a report released. The Boston Globe
sought the report, the state Republican Party sought the report,
and the report was finally released, so three hundred page
report and the Globe the Herald did the story this morning,
(02:57):
and the Globe will be doing this this story tomorrow
because they released a report late this afternoon and basically.
According to the Globe, the drug arrest, domestic violence rapes,
more than a thousand serious incidents reported at Massachusetts shelters.
(03:18):
Now important to say that not everyone at a Massachusetts
shelter is someone who is here on an immigration or
legal immigration status, because there are people who stay in
shelters for which the law was originally written back in
nineteen eighty three, passed and signed by Governor Decacus in
nineteen eighty three so that women and children in Massachusetts
(03:41):
would never be unhoused. But that's a lot of serious
incidents over the last couple of years at Massachusetts shelters,
and some of them, obviously, I think they're all serious.
The Globe headline says they're serious, but some are more
serious than others. Some deal with, you know, a disagreement
(04:02):
or a fight, a couple of guys you know get
you know, getting in into a boxing match in the
lobby of a hotel not particularly pleasant, don't get me wrong.
But when you compare you know, rapes and rapes of
minor children, it gets really serious. How are these immigrants
here who were here and are being accommodated when they
(04:25):
break the law? I mean, you had the guy down
in I think it was Rockland who was accused of
raping a young girl. Are you getting much cooperation here
from Massachusetts or no?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
No, Dan.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And actually the reports that you've seen and that the
Herald and the Global reporting on they obviously have the redacted,
blacked out versions. Unfortunately, that's what E. Ro O sees.
We didn't know about. Oh. I would say almost ninety
percent of all those serious incidents addressed in those reports,
Ice was never notified about any of them. We don't
(05:03):
have that cooperation and communication with the state. So for instance,
the Rockland case that you had referenced, the rape case
and PbD that was high profile, and now the new
one with Revere PD and the ar fifteen and the
five kilos of Fennel. Luckily Revere PD reached out to us.
You have a great partnership with them. But the other
(05:25):
ones were all from biometric hits on fingerprints after they
were arrested, so we weren't even notified by the state.
You know, it's with good partners like Revere that actually
realized with a serious crime and they wanted that individual,
you know, out of their community that they reached out
to us.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Five kilos of fentanyl in the Revere case. I believe
alo was two point two pounds. If my life, if
I remember from my high school math classes, that's like
ten or eleven pounds of fenta.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Yes, correct, and it's almost a million dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, Well, how much fentonyl how much damage could ten
point two pounds or ten pounds of fen or eleven
pounds of fentanyl do in a population of six point
seven million people, which is the number of people who
live here in the Cornwalth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Well, recently fentanyl has been rated as and considered a
weapon of mass destruction. It could pretty much wipe out
almost half the population in Massachusetts.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
You know, this is necessarious stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
When we get back, Todd, I'd like to have some
folks ask your questions, take some phone calls, because your
job has not been been an easy job. It's going
to change with the administration, I believe, come January twentieth,
and I'd like to focus on where you think ICE
(06:58):
will be focusing. I have SoundBite here before we go
from former Senator Hillary Clinton, and it just kind of
shows how over time different politicians have changed their viewpoint.
In this SoundBite from Hillary Clinton, it only goes about thirty.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Seconds or so.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I think she says what most people in America feel,
particularly as it refers to serious crimes and criminal activity.
So this is Hillary Clinton. I don't know if Hillary
Clinton would articulate this today as she articulated a few
years ago.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Rob please play this Hillary Clinton SoundBite.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
I think we got to have tough conditions. Tell people
to come out of the shadows. If they've committed a crime,
deport them, no questions asked, They're gone.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
If they.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
If they've been working in our law abiding we should say,
here are the conditions for you. You have to pay
a stiff fine because you came here illegally. You have
to pay back taxes, and you have to try to
learn English, and you have to wait in line.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
I don't know that she'd be saying that today, Todge.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And it's to me, it's frustrating when a politician stakes
out a position and then because maybe the leadership in
her party or his or her party changes that position,
they change the position. How frustrating is it, you know,
without criticizing either party here, but how frustrating is it
(08:38):
to hear a politician one day say that and just
a few years later, never possibly say that again.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Oh, it's extremely frustrating for us, especially when we're out
there every day trying to track down those exact people
she's talking about in that clip, the ones that are criminals,
that are committee various crimes. No one will ever argue
about ICE arresting and deporting and illegal child sex offender.
(09:09):
And that's what we're doing. And luckily you've given me
a platform along with some other media outlets, actually champion
the good work that ICE in Ero have done in Massachusetts.
So I think a lot of people know that's exactly
what we're doing, is arresting these public safety threats. But
when the political tide shift, it really makes our job difficult.
(09:32):
And it's so frustrating for us because it's never good
to demonize a law enforcement agency, and unfortunately that's what's
happened to us over the past eight to ten years.
It's been an uphill battle.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It was funny back in about two thouy and eleven,
there was a governor in Arizona. Her name was Jan Brewer.
She's a Republican, and she tried to pass some laws
in Arizona which would actually have been tougher than the
federal laws, and her effort was struck down by the
Supreme Court in the state in the US versus Arizona decision,
(10:09):
saying that basically federal law on immigration preempted any possible
state laws. So now we have quite the opposite. We
have democratic governors who are trying to preempt the federal
position on immigration laws. And I suspect that that may
(10:29):
once again continue a couple of weeks from now when
the immigration law changes in Massachusetts. So I'll leave that
question hanging, and I'll invite people to join the conversation
and if they'd like to call and commend you for
the work that you've done under some very difficult circumstances.
I hope some of the folks will take that opportunity.
Those circumstances might change a little bit in a couple
(10:51):
of weeks, and if anyone has questions as to what's
going to happen and what the focus and what the
primary focus of ICE will be after January twentieth, I'd
like to get that clarified as well. My guest is
todd Lyons. He has been with ICE now for seventeen
(11:12):
or eighteen years. He's the National Assistant Director of ICE
for local Operations and Enforcement, and if you'd like to
join the conversation six months seven two, five four to
ten thirty. Six months seven nine, three one ten thirty,
we'll be right back on Nightside with Todd Lyons, who,
along with other members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, put
(11:34):
their lives on the line every day, as most law
enforcement officers do in this country to keep our community safe.
And for that we need to be very very thankful
that there are men like men and women like todd
Lyons out there willing to step into that breach. Back
on Nightside, feel free to join the conversation right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios, News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
My guess is Todd Lyons. He's the National Assistant Director
of Field Operations for ICE and a few days from
now the national leadership of ICE. They will change with
the change of a new administration. Is your sense, Todd
that things are going to change or do you feel
(12:22):
that things will.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Stay the same.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
No, I think it's going to change.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Dan.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
We're already seeing the needle move. We've had a lot
of jurisdictions, a lot of municipalities around the country reach
out and want to know how they can work with ICE.
What we've seen, they want to do a lot of
intelligent sharing. So I do think that the public has
(12:51):
come to appreciate what we do. I think before there
was such a satism associated with immigration enforcement and what
we were doing. I think that by you know yourself,
if you were one of the first programs that was
ever on that you invited me on, we had a
really good conversation about both sides of the immigration issue.
(13:13):
When people actually hear what we do, I think they
have a better failing knowing what the new administration is
going to be doing, because we're going to be focusing
on those public safety threats, those national security threats. And
I think that more and more of these stories that
come out, especially one of them, the agregious and the
(13:33):
heinous ones, I do think that we are going to
get more support. But I also know there are there
are going to be many roblocks ahead too as well.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Yeah, I suspect it is that the battle will continue.
Let's get some phone calls going here for you. Let
me go to Jim and East Boston first. Jim, you
were first tonight with todd Lyons of Ice School.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Right ahead, Jim, Hey, thank you for having me on
your show. I'm a first time caller and I listen
to you all the time. My lifelong Massachusetts resident.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I got to get you a rounding across as the
first that call from a vircial studio audience. And congratulations.
Thanks Jim Garrett. Ahead, I'm sorry, just having a little
bit of fun.
Speaker 7 (14:11):
I'm very concerned about the influx of all the of
Massachusetts being you know, hobboring, hobboring, you know, illegals. You know,
I come from a family that had you know, my
mother had six brothers, six sisters, and it was you know,
the wait in line and do it the right way,
and everybody had to come over the right way. And
it's hobboring. Just st up hearing Revere just up here
(14:35):
and Revere in a shelter. They had an illegal immigrant
undocumented with a kay's and uh, you know, drugs and
fetanohl and also at the paraphernalia right up and here
in Revere, in my own backyard. And I'm concerned that
the governor of this state doesn't understand the situation, and
it's going to be a bubble effect. It's going to
(14:56):
you know, the residents of Massachusetts are paying for all
the all the all the all the all the illegal
immigrants that that I here. I mean, you go to
the Reggie Lewis Center, you know, and and a place
you know in Boston, you know that's supposed to be
for the inner city youth kids, and it's you know,
it's a shelter for for illegal immigrants. And it's sad
(15:16):
because I don't know.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
That the Reggie Lewis Center, Uh, to be honest with
the Jim.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
If it was, there was a community center which was
closed for many months and used as a shelter that
has now been been reopened. Uh and uh, I just
you know, again, I just want to be accurate. I
do not believe the Reggie Lewis Center was ever impacted
by this. But but I understand the points you're making.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
Well, even still like our hotels, you know, some of
the hotels right up there on Leena Cass Boulevard, it's
a drug haven area as it is. And uh, you know,
for me personally, you know, since since Romney's we had
we had Democrats running this state. And I believe that
you know, it's falling a part at the scenes. It
(15:59):
really is, you know, we we have to we have
to get back to to to the basics. I mean,
I believe, you know, everybody has the right for you know, life,
libery to pursue the happiness. But there's there's a way
of doing things. And you know they they do these
Harbern States as a as a place to go to.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I want you to, you know, just talk to Todd
Lyons for a second. He's he's been doing this for
his career. Uh, and he.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Is naming common Hey, how are you doing?
Speaker 7 (16:32):
Yeah, I'm very your plate.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I myself born and raised in South Boston, Massachusetts resident.
My family's hair like you, We've all had family to
come the right way, come over here for a better life.
And that's what we're you know, we we don't want
to stand by these people, these criminal aliens that take
advantage of our system, that hide in plain sight, that
are foreign fugitives that are fleeing justice from their own country.
(16:58):
They come in here and terrorized not only our communities,
but the immigrant community as well. That some of these
migrants that are fleeing persecution or trying to have a
better life, fleeing these crimes that these want of gang members.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
So so how do we so how do we how
do we stop stop the hobboring of like Okay, I
understand you know Trump was going to say, Okay, you know,
you want to have a uh, you know, illegals, and
you're not going to get any federal assistance. You know.
But like at the end of the day, that's punt
us in you know, Massachusetts residents. Now we all you know,
(17:37):
you know, the majority of the residents living in Massachusetts,
you know, they don't want to have a you know, uh,
you know, they don't want to have a fugitives and
they don't want to have illegals. We wanted the Queen City.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Jim, in fairness to todd lyons, we elect politicians in
this state who then make decisions about policies, and uh
uh maybe people have to start looking at some of
these elections.
Speaker 7 (18:03):
Oh yeah, I think the I think the thing is, let.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Me take your question, Let me take your question, Jim,
and let me shop in it a little bit.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Todd When all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
The administrations change and and you folks find out about
some criminal alien here who has done something horrendous, not
some criminal alien who was arrested for jaywalking, but for
some criminal alien who has done something horrendous. Do you
think that the administration here will will look at it
(18:36):
a little differently after January twentieth, I'm talking about the
administration in Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yeah, Dan, I do. I honestly think that, you know,
having the opportunity to explain exactly what we're doing and
you know what exactly we are looking for. I think
pulling back that curtain is going to do a lot.
One of the first things that we are really striving
for and that I want, what I've been pushing at
(19:03):
my level, is to really move forward with these open
lines of communication, because that's one of the hugest problems
kind of like I mentioned when we were first talking
at the beginning of this, that report that the Massachusetts
GOP had to get through a Freedom of Information Act.
That's the same to for we would see, you know,
they should, you know, jurisdictions, elected officials, entities should give
(19:29):
us those reports and work with us so we could
be that bet at partner. So I think the first
step has got to be opening up those lines of
communication and really having those hard conversations about what we
can do to help each other, all.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Right, Jim, I think you got to give them a
chance here and see what happens. I think I'm hoping
that there is an appreciation of the intent and the purpose.
The intent on the purpose of ICE is not to
separate families. It's not to pull little kids out of
the arms of their parents. Their intent is to get
(20:05):
rid of the hardcore curve criminals who are here, people
like who are members of MS thirteen who are living
in your community. Jim, That's who ICE is going to
go after. And I and I think Todd has got
a big job in front of him, and ICE has
a big job in front of him. But they're not
looking to go in and and and separate families. They're
(20:25):
looking to go in and separate hardcore criminals from our society.
Yes or no, Todd, Jim, I'll give you a fine
a word, go ahead, Jim.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Well, I want to say, how do they how are
they venting the people that are here now, I mean,
just recently, an undocumented you know, in a in a shelter,
mind you, for that reason of being homeless, undocumented. I mean,
how how are we you know, vetting vetting these people
that that's up.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
That is not uh Todd's responsibility. That's what the state does.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Uh No, I understand it. But you got you got,
you got, you know, Governor Healy.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And you know, here's the thing, Jim, Jim, We've gone
seven or eight minutes here. I'm well into my news break.
I got to take my news break. Some of the
other callers are going to back you up here. Todd
Lyons is not your enemy. Todd Lyons is your friend
on this one. So trust me on that, okay, and
keep listening to night Side. Thank you, Tom, thank you
very much.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
To thank you, Thank you very much, Ben, thank you.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
You're welcome. Thank Tod. Stay right there.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I want to get some more phone calls six one, seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty six one, seven, nine thirty. If
you understand what we're talking about, I would employ you
to join the conversation. We'll be back up Nightside with
todd Lyons of ICE's been with them for a long time.
Uh And I think a lot of the restrictions that
(21:54):
have been placed on him here in Massachusetts will be
come January twentieth and beyond. Back on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
This side with Dan ray On WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
My guess is todd Lyons. Todd has been with ICE
now for eighteen years, local guy, and he he now
is the assistant the National Assistant Director of ICE for
field operations, which means he is moving up the chain
of command. And I think that you will be appreciative
(22:36):
of how he conducts himself as he moves up the
chain of command. Let's go next to Tom in West Virginia. Tom,
you're next on nightside with todd Lyons. Go righthead, Tom.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
Yeah, No, I have no argument with what ICE does.
The problem is is that it comes down from the
the administration, and we have governors like our wonder like
the I don't vote messed, but the wonderful governor Mara
Heey that ask people like me, if you have a
(23:10):
spare bedroom, perhaps you could put up a migrant one family,
one family in Brookline on a migrant family.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (23:23):
So, I just don't want to hear it from people
like Maura Heey.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, I want to focus on where you think I
should go in the next few weeks and a few months,
because the leadership financial leadership is going to change.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
Yeah, obviously, get rid of these illegals that have committed
crimes that disobey our laws. I mean, this is ridiculous.
I would not even consider going to New York City
and riding the subway train from what I see. No,
not at all. And for this this attitude of that,
(24:01):
well crime is down, actually, and immigrants create less crime
than native born Americans. I don't know if that's true.
That's an NPR narrative. And as far as I'm concerned, well,
you know something, if we didn't have illegal immigrants that
were here that were committing crimes, there would be lower crime.
(24:22):
That's not you don't have to be George Carlin to
figure that out.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
No, yeah, absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And look, you have people like Raleigh Laken, the the
Georgia College student who would be alive today if that
individual who allegedly killed her never was allowed back into
the country. And that's that's a situation that it's totally irreversible.
Speaker 8 (24:51):
Of course. And I'll tell you something to Dan that
I've noticed. I still own a house in Brockton. I
go back and forth from Brocken, Virginia, Philippine.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
You know that.
Speaker 8 (25:01):
But the point being is that I've noticed over the
last year that just you know, for me, just observing,
I've seen three people the last time I was in
Brockton blatantly run red lights twice, blatantly run stop signs.
I don't know if they're immigrants or not. I just
don't know. But I've owned that house since twenty eleven.
(25:25):
I never saw that before, and it's like, what's going
on here?
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Well again, if you have a question for Tod Lyons
or a word.
Speaker 8 (25:34):
Of eva, No, I don't have the question. Todd, you
will do fine. And you know something, just get rid
of the criminals. Continue what you're doing, and hopefully we'll
have a government that will unshackle the things that need
to be done to make this a safer country. And
(25:54):
God bless you for looking out for the public interest.
You know, guys like you are the heroes.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
No, Tom, I really appreciate that. And kind of to
your point, you know, we actually really don't know the
percentages when it comes to uh, you know, non citizens
committing crimes. But we have enough American born, orn and
raised criminals we don't need anymore. If we have the
opportunity to get rid of these bad actors, I think
that's a thing.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Yeah, And that's exactly what I believe they're gonna do.
Speaker 5 (26:25):
And and Tom, I hope that.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Whoever's you know, you're superiors at ICE and whatever position
you have, if you were running ICE, I know what
would happen.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
I just hope that no one makes the mistake.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Of saying, well, we're gonna we're gonna pick the low
hanging fruit and we're gonna go get a mom and
her two kids, you know, who are here illegally. Let's
get Let's get the bad guys out first. And I
think that there'll be a lot more support for the
efforts as a consequence. Tom has always I appreciate you
calls joining us from West Virginia.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
Take the guys, thanks very much.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I want to go to got to go to Florida.
Marty is in Saint Augustine, Florida. Marty, you were next
on Nightside with a fellow member of law enforcement, Todd Lions.
Speaker 9 (27:10):
Go right ahead, Marty, all right, Hey Todd a former
law enforcement twenty year New York City housing police. I
wanted to say that the thing about what he called
the sanctuaries, I want to refer to Nassau and Suffolk
County on Long Island before Donald Trump made his first election.
(27:31):
They were both sanctuary counties and there was a lot
of activity with MS thirteen Riya Sanchez, which comes from Salvador.
You you had dealings with them, right.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Todd, yep yepent You were correctly right.
Speaker 9 (27:48):
So anyway, what happened was coincidence or whatever. They both
became unsanctuary. Now I'm going to say this and don't
take offense, but the saving grace about MS thirteen was
it was an Internissan thing. They were killing their own members. Whatever,
They didn't do too much damage to the locals anyway.
(28:10):
Now I'm going to refer you to the country of
El Salvador.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Up here money they were impacting non members of em
as AT thirteen. If you get out of line and
you remember of MS AT thirteen, you had a problem.
But they were making money off of robbing other people.
Believe me, they were not coming here and living monastic
existences in monasteries, only interacting with their fellow members.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
Trust me on that. I think Todd helped me up
on that one.
Speaker 9 (28:41):
The interesting thing now is in the country is El Salvador.
The president supposedly locked up all of the gang members.
According to what I see on YouTube, and they've transformed
El Salvador, which has about three million people, into one
of the safest places on earth. And I think it's
a shame that my home city of New York is
(29:03):
just playing games. Can I ask you a question.
Speaker 8 (29:06):
Dan or Todd?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Todd?
Speaker 9 (29:08):
How do how do they how do they designate a
city or whatever as a sanctuary state? How did they
go about doing a sanctuary city? How did he go about?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
It's done by the local officials. Money, that's that's the
local officials that do it. That's what they they've done.
Wherever they've done this, they call themselves welcoming cities, called
themselves sanctuary cities that they have. Some places here in
Massachusetts where they have welcome they call them newcomers. It's
all euphemisms. You know, let's let us welcome our newcomers.
(29:40):
They don't call anymore.
Speaker 8 (29:43):
Well, what they've done.
Speaker 9 (29:44):
I used to live in San Francisco for two months
when I was in the Army. Can't go there anymore.
I was in New York about two weeks ago. Out
in the island. I can't stand New York and I
can't stand the people of New York who are probably
going to elect either Adams or Cuomo. Now Curtis Sliwa
is crude, but he would make a good mayor. But anyway,
(30:06):
I wanted good luck with that.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Good luck with that anyway.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Hey, Marty, I got to keep running here because I'm
way past my break. I got you before the break.
Thanks Marty, appreciate it. Yeah, Todd, you know, everybody has
a different view of how they should handle it. I
mean MS MS thirteen was carousing huge problems here in
uh In, in northeastern Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, Dn, And but right now they've
been if you can believe it, they're being overshadowed by
Trenda Ragua oh yeah, which is now now the new
public Oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It's it's like it's like watching Worldwide Wrestling, you know,
one year it's Killer Kowalski, and then it's Hulk Hogan,
and then it's some other guy who's the toughest guy
in the block. I mean that that group out of
Venzuela and what they're doing in Colorado is just incredible.
I just think that there's there's a lot of targets
that that ICE is going to be able to take
(31:03):
out and significantly make America a safer place, and I
think you're going to be applauded. And I think that,
you know, kind of like that dog that used to
always kind of be in the corner of the room
because at some point whenever people would walk in the room,
that kick the dog.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
You guys, I.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Think are going to be received much more positively in
the weeks and months ahead than you can actually imagine.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
I really believe that it'll.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Be interesting to see how the media covers the bus too.
By the way, as I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
You know, Yeah, I totally agree with you, Dan, and
I definitely think we have enough criminal aliens in Massachusetts
that'll keep us busy for a very long time. And
that's a sad fact, but it sounds like a talking point.
But every day and the Boston Field off as those
men and women have to make the decision are they
going to arrest the fentanyl dealer or the sex because
(32:00):
there's not enough resource up here to get both.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Yeah, let's take a quick break, doub will take a
quick break, got a couple more phone calls, we'll wrap
it up on the other side of this break. A
couple of minutes back with todd lyons of Ice, eighteen
year vegan of ICE, and he is I think destined
for some leadership post. He's currently right now the National
Assistant director of ICE for field operations across the country.
(32:25):
Back on Nightside with Todd Lyons back after this.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Todd Lions is my guess, Luciano, we're a little tight
on time. You're next on Nightside Luciana with Pennsylvania. Go ahead, Luciano, Yeah, thank.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
You for taking my car.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Oh that como start.
Speaker 10 (32:46):
I'm glad that my family lives in Arlington, Texas.
Speaker 8 (32:49):
I'm here in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 10 (32:50):
I'm glad that the Democratic Party is being shocked by
Latinos throughout California, throughout the country. Latinos are abandoning, finally,
the Democratic. They do not support real Americans like Mexican
American Chicanos, Puerto Ricans and Cubans and Dominicans. We've abandoning
the Democratic on please buy that we need to stripped
(33:12):
all these sank.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
O, Katie Lucian and we're not doing a Democratic Republican
thing here tonight. But I appreciate your point of view.
Nonetheless as always appreciate your call. Let's keep going, gonna
go to gonna go to Lou and West Roxbury. Lou,
you gotta wrap it up for us.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Go ahead, Lou Bank Todd, congratulations for being part of
the new Trump administration and all the work. And we
always loved having you in West Roxbury.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Thank you. I might love that you gave me that Pam,
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Uh. I want to make a plug for ICE to
do more investigation on OPT students. You know, we have
twenty eight thousand, almost thirty thousand OPT students that come
from China and they're they're in our schools in Greater Boston.
(34:04):
We have no idea of the security clearance of these
Chinese nationals. And I think the OPT program has got
a lot of fraud. Is their plans?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Explain the uh, Lou, do me a favorite. Explain what
OPT programmed, audience, because I'm unfamiliar with it, and I
suspect there might be some in my audience who are
unfamiliar with the acronym.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
OPT is optional practical training. Students from foreign countries can
come into the United States, get a slot in an
American college, then they get hired when they graduate, they
can get hired by American corporations, and those corporations get
a tax break for hiring those kids over American kids.
(34:51):
They don't have to pay Social Security taxes and other taxes.
It's crazy that we would put foreign students ahead of
our own ship. And Northeastern is one of the biggest
in the country. Harvard's one of the biggest in the country.
Be used, one of the biggest in the country.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
So one of the benefits, it sounds to me, lou like,
one of the benefits is that the employer can hire
the individual who's a foreign student, and that foreign student
doesn't have to pay Social Security taxes, and therefore the
employer does not have to pay the matching so security
tax Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Correct?
Speaker 5 (35:29):
Well?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
That, let me tell you that's something I was unaware of,
and I'm going to look into that more, Todd. That
is kind of outside of Todd's Baileywick I think, but boy,
that's it.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
That's that seems to me like.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
An a no, no, there's there's fraud in the program
that ICES has targeted before.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Okay, let me get Todd to respond, Hold on, go ahead, Todd, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
No, data lude that you're correct, and one of the
main things now that we are going to focus on
is like I said earlier when I was talking about
those public and national security threats, and what we're really
focused on when it come to these programs, especially with
our F one student programs, is really focusing on those
inside of threats when it comes to for national stealing
(36:15):
and tout elegance, trade right spionage. So there will definitely
be a crackedout, especially with the betting with what we
can do to bet national secrets, which a lot of
the technology schools here in Massachusets focus on and have
contracts with. So will you will see a heavier enforcement
hand when it comes down to our student population as well,
(36:39):
really focusing on those national security threats. I'm so glad
to hear it, Quinn.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
Last thing, Bostonians against sanctuary Cities would love to have
you and Tom home and come and speak in Boston
and give more Healy and mayor Wu the what for
from a local stage, So come on back home.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
We appreciate it. Yeah, we appreciate it, Low And I'm
happy you brought that up because the thank Cray policies,
especially one like the Trust Act in Boston that's really
really disheartening for us. We were really it was really
on a sour note to start the year to see,
you know, a local law enforcement agency take a victory
lap about publicly praising that they didn't work with Ice
(37:25):
and he's talk you're talking.
Speaker 5 (37:26):
About the Boston Police Department taking that victory lap.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Correct, Yeah, right, And.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
It must have been heartbreaking for you, because it was
heartbreaking for everybody in the city, including Latinos and Hispanics
like that other caller, to see that every single Boston
City councilor voted to endorse.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
The Trust Act again. Well, and one thing, Lou you
got to see is we actually did appress lead tonight.
That will come out here and it's out right now.
You'll see that in actuality. The Boston Police Department not
only did they honor not honor, fifteen detainers, but it
was actually one hundred and ninety eight.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
So we did the secretise with them in twenty thirteen. Yeah,
so there was way more than it was. It was
crimes that ranged all the way from attempted murder, assault
and a law enforcement officer trafficking heroin sexual assault.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Well, as President Obama once said, one said elections have consequences,
and that's the consequence. By the way, Massachusetts, I believe
the governor is correct, technically is not a sanctuary state.
But Boston with the Trust Act, is a sanctuary city,
no question about that.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Lou.
Speaker 5 (38:39):
Thank you for your call up to your alliance.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Thank you for your work, thank you for your commitment
to keeping this country a lot safer. Really appreciate you
coming on tonight, and we will talk soon, my friend,
and hopefully talk frequently. Okay, and best of luck as
the as the days come off the calendar.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Yeah, Dan, thank you so much. You've been a great partner.
Really appreciate you. Let me champion the women amount of vice.
We really appreciate you, so thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
You're welcome anytime. We'll have you back soon. Thanks Tom,
talk to soon, Thanks very very much. When we get back,
we're going to talk to our Canadian listeners about Justin
Trudeau's decision to step down as the leader of the
Liberal Party and eventually to step aside as the Prime minister.
He's kind of doing in a different way, but with
(39:26):
Joe Biden back on nightside after the eleven o'clock News
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.