TRANSCRIPT: Congresswoman Escobar Questions Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons

This press release from Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX) was published on 2026-04-16 and titled "TRANSCRIPT: Congresswoman Escobar Questions Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons". It focuses on immigration and touches on taxes, the environment.

TRANSCRIPT: Congresswoman Escobar Questions Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons

This morning, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) questioned Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rodney Scott, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Joseph Edlow, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) were also a part of the hearing. The video can be found here and a (lightly edited) transcript has been provided below: DHS Subcommittee Chairman Mark Amodei: The gentlelady from Texas, Ms. Escobar. The floor is yours. Congresswoman Escobar: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member [Cuellar]. And thanks to our witnesses for being here today. Before I get into my questions, I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am very glad that Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and Greg Bovino are no longer a part of the Department of Homeland Security. The way that they engaged in our communities has been an abomination, and it is my hope that the wreckage which they created, which is immeasurable, can be addressed and that we can go forward in a different way. So I had to get that off my chest. Mr. Scott, I've asked for a meeting with you, and I know this is a tough week, but I really would appreciate a one on one meeting with you, my team, your team. Can we make that happen in the next week or so? CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott: Yes, ma'am. Within this next week, I'll be out of town after this meeting until Tuesday, but I’ll get with you. CWE : Okay, and we're happy to work with you. Just would really appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you. Commissioner Scott: Of course. CWE: Thank you. Acting Director Lyons, I want to thank you for the time that you gave me and my team yesterday. I think it was a productive and fruitful conversation. And, much of what we talked about is Camp East Montana. It is the largest immigration detention facility in the country. It is privately run. It’s $1.24 billion. And I have been sounding the alarm about that facility and that contractor for some time now. I am glad that Acquisition Logistics will no longer be the contractor going forward. We are hoping to continue our oversight, our work on oversight as the new contractor situates itself. And to the Chairman's point, thank you for committing to get us the contract with Acquisition Logistics. I'd like it if the Chair, the Ranking Member and I could have the contract - the new contract with Amentum - please. AD Lyons: Yes, ma'am, 100%. CWE: Okay. AD Lyons: And just, yeah, we're committed to making sure that we get you that, that contract will be fully in place by April 17 th - CWE: Okay. AD Lyons: - fully staffed. But just to, the original statement would work. We inherited that from the Department of War. And unfortunately, under the FAR Act - the FAR Act part two - there was, they listed proprietary information. So I just would refer any questions on the original contract back to the Department of War. [This] was the reason for the delay on the original. Chairman Amodei: If I might, if you want to redact it, we're not going to the Pentagon to get answers about ICE stuff. AD Lyons: We’ll take care of that for you. Chairman Amodei: Okay? Thank you. CWE: Thank you. Chairman. Will there be a - I'm assuming there will not be a similar issue with the Amentum contract. AD Lyons: No, ma'am. CWE: Okay. And we can get that in a timely manner? AD Lyons: Yes, ma'am. Okay. CWE: Thank you. And we have started to receive the answers to our letters from last fall and earlier this year. So I appreciate that we're starting to get those answers. But as we continue our oversight responsibilities and have more questions, can we expect responses to our questions in a more timely manner than existed under [DHS] Secretary Noem? AD Lyons: Yes, ma'am. It was - I think yesterday, as we talked, I think my team was actually sending over responses in real time. So we have increased our legislative [affairs] staff, and we are expediting, answering and getting those all back in a more timely fashion. So, you do have the commitment that you will receive those answers. CWE: Okay, I appreciate that. And as I mentioned, both on the phone, in my letters to members of this committee, to the Chairman, to the Ranking Member: the issues at Camp East Montana have been horrific. And frequently, [ICE] staff on the ground is very dismissive when I raise those issues directly with them. And we have an obligation to treat people in a humane manner and to make sure that we are living up to federal standards. And, the challenges with Camp East Montana have been laid out by our own federal oversight agencies. So I am not the only one who has seen these issues and who has sounded the alarm. But, we now have in my community another set of ICE facilities that are going up. The Department of Homeland Security has purchased three warehouses in the city of Socorro, Texas - a population of 36,000 peo