Incoming ‘Border Czar’ Homan Sends Big Warning to Chicago, Other ‘Blue’ Cities
President-elect Donald Trump’s designated border czar, veteran immigration official Tom Homan, has issued a striking pledge targeting a major liberal stronghold.
Earlier this month, Homan appeared in Chicago, a city whose mayor has openly opposed Trump’s immigration policies, where he announced that deportation operations would commence on “day one.”
“All that starts January 21st, and we’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois. If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us — if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien — I will prosecute him,” Homan said, directing a stern warning to Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Homan also criticized the state’s Democratic leadership, including Governor JB Pritzker.
“Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks, and your governor sucks. January 21st, you’re going to look for a lot of ICE agents in your city, looking for criminals and gang members,” he declared, confirming deportations would begin immediately following the inauguration.
In a Friday night interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Homan elaborated on the Trump administration’s immigration plans, emphasizing that ICE would be allowed to resume its duties fully, including the deportation of millions of undocumented individuals.
A recent Wall Street Journal report revealed that approximately 200 officers are scheduled to arrive in Chicago on Tuesday for a large-scale deportation effort, with operations set to expand nationwide.
When Watters questioned Homan about reports of “a big raid all across the country,” Homan confirmed the plans.
“ICE is finally going to go out and do their job,” he stated. “We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens.”
Watters asked if publicly announcing the Chicago raid might encourage voluntary departures.
“There’s going to be a big raid all across the country. Chicago is just one of many places. We’ve got 24 field offices across the country. On Tuesday, you can expect ICE — ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens. That’s what’s going to happen,” Homan said emphatically.
Watters also inquired about the limitations ICE agents faced during the Biden administration.
“They haven’t been able to do much because Secretary Mayorkas had new ICE priorities. Get this: the secretary of Homeland Security told ICE you can’t arrest an illegal alien if he’s just here illegally,” Homan explained. “He’s got to be convicted of a serious crime or be a national security threat. He told immigration officers not to enforce immigration law.
“Well, we’re telling ICE you’re going to enforce immigration law without apology. You’re going to concentrate on the worst public safety threats first, but no one’s off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they’ve got a problem,” he added.
In an earlier interview with the Washington Examiner, Homan outlined the Trump administration’s plans to apprehend, detain, and deport hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of undocumented immigrants.
Homan stated that immigrants whose sole offense was entering the country illegally should be returned to their countries of origin, even if they are residing with or related to individuals facing arrest warrants.
“In sanctuary cities, expect a lot of collateral arrests. I mean, not just priority criminal arrests. If we can’t get the bad guy in jail, that means we have to go into the communities and find them, and there may be others. We expect a lot of collateral arrests,” Homan explained.