Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has publicly criticized the Boston Globe for an article that features local activist Lucy Pineda, who alerts immigrant communities about the presence of federal agents in the area.
Lyons represents the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office and has reacted strongly to the Globe’s coverage of the ongoing impact of President Donald Trump’s deportation policies on immigrant communities in Massachusetts.
In a statement posted on social media on July 4, ICE expressed disappointment with the Globe’s portrayal of Pineda’s initiatives, stating that a comment from Lyons was requested but not included in the article.
Lyons, who previously led ICE’s Boston field office, emphasized the critical role federal officers play in protecting New England communities from criminal offenders.
“Our officers risk their lives every day protecting New England communities from criminal alien offenders,” Lyons stated.
He criticized activists like Pineda, suggesting that they are celebrated by media outlets with political agendas while contributing to the enabling of illegal behaviors.
“Activists like Lucy Pineda are often hailed as heroes by publications with obvious political agendas, but if they were to take an honest look at what she and her followers are doing, they are enabling people to break the law – and more often than they are comfortable admitting – they are allowing violent criminals to continue to victimize the migrant communities,” Lyons added.
Pineda, a 52-year-old native of El Salvador, runs Latinos Unidos en Massachusetts, a network with approximately 2,500 volunteers dedicated to aiding immigrant families by warning them about ICE activity in their neighborhoods.
The Globe reported that their mission involves alerting families about potential ICE actions, covering regions from Everett to Lynn and Worcester.
Despite the positive depiction of Pineda’s activism, the context around her brother’s recent arrest generated controversy.
Emilio Neftaly Pineda, Pineda’s brother, was apprehended by federal agents in Peabody for being an illegal Salvadoran national with a history of convictions, including domestic assault and battery.
At the time of his arrest, the agents noted he had multiple outstanding warrants in Massachusetts, which included charges for leaving the scene of an accident and violating a restraining order after failing to appear for court dates.
A spokesperson for the Globe addressed Lyons’ criticisms, clarifying that they had indeed responded to ICE’s request for a comment, and they are currently working on incorporating it into future print and digital editions of the publication.
In a follow-up article, the Globe noted that during a recent operation, ICE and other federal agents had arrested over 1,400 individuals in Massachusetts, marking the highest monthly total on record.
To explore this surge’s effects on the immigrant population, a team of Globe journalists spent a week engaging with these communities.
The report also pointed out that, prior to the publication, ICE did not engage with requests to contribute to the article, only providing a statement after the article’s release.
Visual content shared by the Globe on social media featured footage of Pineda confronting federal agents, accusing them of targeting hardworking community members and invoking the concept of karma as a form of social justice.
image source from：bostonherald
