Border Czar Tom Homan stated Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not be deterred by escalating attacks from critics and remains committed to deporting individuals who have violated immigration laws. “They won’t stop the men and women of ICE,” Homan told Fox News host Harris Faulkner, emphasizing the agency’s resolve.
The Department of Homeland Security reported a 1,000% surge in violence against ICE agents during operations. A recent incident on Wednesday involved 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who killed an illegal alien detainee and injured two others before taking his own life. Authorities discovered unspent bullet casings at the scene marked with the phrase “anti-ICE,” underscoring the targeted nature of the attack. No agents were harmed in the incident.
Homan highlighted that approximately 600,000 undocumented individuals with criminal records remain free in the U.S., primarily due to policies in sanctuary cities. He criticized jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE, stating that agents are forced to search neighborhoods for criminals, often leading to the detention of nonviolent individuals. “In sanctuary cities, they force us to go into communities to find the bad guy, and if we find them with others, they’re coming too,” Homan said. He called on authorities to allow ICE access to jails to ensure safety for agents, detainees, and communities.
Homan expressed frustration over the lack of support, noting that he has “buried Border Patrol and ICE agents” throughout his career. “These men and women are patriots. They’re moms and dads too. And I want every one of them to go home to their families each night,” he said.
Despite Homan’s appeals, Democratic leaders have intensified rhetoric against ICE. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) accused agents of conducting “dangerous and reckless immigration operations,” while Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) criticized ICE for detaining individuals during routine activities like dropping off children at daycare. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), a Democratic senatorial candidate, labeled ICE’s tactics as “Gestapo-like,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) accused Homan of promoting “masked ICE agents on the American people.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) alleged that ICE “intentionally stokes fear” by targeting communities without criminal records, while Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) claimed federal officials disproportionately target individuals based on race or ethnicity. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the Trump administration’s deportation efforts as “authoritarian,” describing agents as “masked men jumping out of unmarked cars.”
Homan urged protesters to reconsider their stance, stating that many demonstrators “don’t even know what they’re protesting” and are influenced by misleading media narratives. He reiterated his commitment to protecting both agents and those under investigation.
