Trump officials outline business-driven deportation model at Border Security Expo

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated he envisions a deportation process similar to Amazon Prime, focusing on efficiency and technology for faster deportations. “We need to get better at treating this like a business, where this mass deportation operation is something like you would see and say, like Amazon trying to get your Prime delivery within 24 hours,” Lyons told the Border Security Expo on Tuesday, April 8. “So trying to figure out how to do that with human beings.”

During the 2025 Border Security Expo, Lyons indicated a vision for ICE agents rounding up immigrants using trucks, comparing it to shipping packages. Companies like Avelo Airlines are partnering with the Trump administration to transport deported individuals, despite public backlash against their involvement.

The Trump administration’s deportation efforts, supported by Lyons, have raised significant concerns about the treatment of immigrants and the ethical implications of such operations.