White House border czar Tom Homan has declared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not backing away from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda despite criticism from both Democrats and some Trump supporters over the pace and scope of arrests.
“We are after everyone, but again, you’ve got to prioritize those who are the biggest threats to our national security and public safety,” Homan told the Washington Examiner in an interview published Wednesday.
When asked if he was satisfied with current numbers, Homan admitted: “No, I want more, too. Even though numbers are historic, I want more.”
According to Homan, ICE and federal partners have arrested approximately 641,000 criminal illegal aliens during Trump’s second term, while over 800,000 illegal aliens have been removed from the country.
“Total of 800,000 out of the country,” Homan stated. “If you take 60% of that, criminals and hundreds of thousands of public safety threats, have been removed from this country. Name another president who’s done that.”
Homan acknowledged that immigration enforcement has slowed in recent months, blaming sanctuary city policies, court rulings, and a 75-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown earlier this year.
“There’s a lot of argument within the world that [questions], ‘Are we keeping our promise?'” Homan said. “Numbers are slightly down, but there’s a plan: Get them back up and even higher.”
Homan also noted that the rise in activist judges has contributed to a 12% decline in arrests.
When pressed on claims that ICE is focusing too narrowly on criminal offenders, Homan pushed back, saying: “I know there’s a lot of noise out there about, ‘You shouldn’t be just concentrating on criminals, you ought to be arresting everybody,’ but we are pursuing a broad range of arrests.”
Homan added that sanctuary city policies create dangers for officers and communities because ICE agents are forced to locate illegal aliens in neighborhoods instead of taking them into custody inside secure facilities.
“I explained to her again,” Homan said referring to a recent meeting with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, “it’s safer for the community, safer for the officer, and safer for the alien to arrest him in the safety and security of jail.”
The Trump administration is also preparing new legal action against sanctuary jurisdictions, according to Homan.
“I’ve been fighting sanctuary cities for the last 20 years,” Homan said. “I think we’ve got an acting attorney general now that’s going to take it seriously.”
In a recent weekend operation, ICE officers arrested multiple individuals who had been convicted of violent crimes including child rape, assault, and drug trafficking.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests as part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to target migrants with criminal convictions.
