Chinese Illegal Immigrants Use Gift Card Fraud to Fund China’s Military, ICE Chief Says

‘The CCP is a huge threat,’ Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said.

Todd Lyons, acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 16, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

A senior U.S. immigration official said that money stolen from gift card fraud victims was being funneled to China’s military, following the dismantling of a fraud scheme involving Chinese nationals residing in the United States illegally.

Todd Lyons, the acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), testified on the issue before a House Appropriations subcommittee on April 16. During the hearing, he was asked by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) about “bad actors” such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).