Todd Lyons warned Friday on Newsmax that national security is at risk after what he described as widespread vetting failures during the Biden administration.
Lyons made the allegation following the murder of two people in Atlanta, including a Department of Homeland Security employee, by a man naturalized in 2022.
Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told "Finnerty" the case underscores deeper concerns about how millions of immigrants were processed and granted citizenship.
"We really don't understand why the administration would want someone like this," Lyons said, referring to the suspect, who authorities said had a history of violent felony arrests before being naturalized.
"The Biden administration naturalized so many individuals, we didn't have time to properly vet them," he said. "And the scary part is, we don't know how many of these individuals are out there."
The suspect, U.K. native Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, has been accused of killing 40-year-old DHS employee Lauren Bullis while she was walking her dog on Monday morning in Georgia.
Bullis' death came hours after Adon Abel allegedly killed an unidentified woman and critically injured a homeless man.
DHS said in a news release that Adon Abel's criminal record includes convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism.
Lyons called Bullis "one of our great employees at the Office of Inspector General," and said the case highlights what he described as systemic breakdowns during a period when border agencies were overwhelmed.
"You have these criminals that come here and are exploiting the government and look at the amount of American citizens that lives have been lost with this," he said.
Lyons, who announced his resignation Thursday effective May 31, said DHS has begun reviewing cases from that period, including the nearly 3.5 million immigrants naturalized during Joe Biden's presidency.
"We do, we do. We've already started that," Lyons said when asked if the department needed to re-vet individuals. "USCIS ... they've started revamping their processes, going back. ... We have to go back, and we have to revet these individuals."
He pointed to what he described as intense pressure on border agencies at the time, saying "the proper screening wasn't done" as large numbers of migrants were released into the country.
Lyons also tied the issue to the ongoing partial shutdown of DHS, which he said has hindered enforcement and investigative operations.
"The national security of the United States is at stake when you don't fund Department of Homeland Security fully," he said. "This is everyday life now for every American in this country. You've got to live looking over your shoulder every time you step out the door."
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