Chinese Illegal Immigrants Use Gift Card Fraud to Fund Chinas Military, ICE Chief Says

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