Tom Homan: How will the 'border tsar' approach immigration?

Experienced immigration official Tom Homan will oversee the nation's borders after Trump's inauguration in January.

With a long career in law enforcement and experience at the border, everyone will be watching to see how he intends to reduce illegal immigration into the US, which was a key focus of Trump's campaign.

How will he tackle the job?

Homan, a former police officer and past acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has called the immigration situation at the US border "the most significant national security risk our country has faced since 9/11, and it needs to be addressed."

Speaking about undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at the Republican National Convention this past summer, he declared, "It's time to start preparing to leave."

However, it remains uncertain how his position as "border tsar" will develop, since overseeing immigration requires collaboration between various government departments.

Nonetheless, he has shared a few thoughts on how he plans to handle the border situation.

In October, before he was elected, Trump mentioned in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes that his approach to deportations would focus first on individuals deemed "public safety threats" and "national security threats." After that, he would address the situation of non-criminal migrants living in the country without legal status.

This strategy would undo the Biden administration's policies that instruct ICE to prioritize the deportation of serious offenders, threats to national security, and those who have crossed the border recently. The existing Biden policy aims to safeguard undocumented immigrants who have been residing in the U.S. without a criminal record.

When asked about the process of deportations, Homan stated in that October interview, "We're not planning on conducting large-scale sweeps in neighborhoods or setting up detention camps. I've seen all the speculation out there, and it's absurd."

"The arrests will be planned and specific. We have a clear idea of who we need to apprehend and where we are likely to locate them, thanks to various investigative methods," he mentioned.

Homan was involved in Trump's contentious "zero tolerance" policy, which resulted in the separation of thousands of migrant children from their families. This approach faced significant criticism, as children were placed in shelters while their parents faced legal proceedings, and there were no clear plans for reuniting them.

Homan stated that he did not personally draft the policy memo responsible for the separations, although he was one of the three officials who approved it by signing.

When asked if it's possible to conduct mass deportations without splitting up families, Homan responded to 60 Minutes by saying, "Families can be deported as a unit."

He also mentioned the return of large-scale immigration arrests at places of employment—something he calls work-site enforcement operations, which were halted by Biden in 2021.

During an appearance on Fox News's Fox & Friends on Monday, he addressed objections to deportation, asking, “What other choice do we have?” He emphasized that individuals have the right to seek asylum and to have their cases heard by a judge, which the system ensures. However, he pointed out that if, after going through the necessary legal process, a judge rules that a person must return to their home country, it is our responsibility to facilitate that return.

At 62, Homan began his professional journey as a police officer in New York before taking on the role of a border patrol agent, which he frequently mentions.

"I served as a border patrol agent and wore the uniform with pride," he shared during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Monday. "I'm proud of my time in the uniform... I was the first director of ICE to rise from within the ranks."

In 2013, former President Barack Obama appointed him to lead the deportation division of ICE. This was a period when the agency was carrying out an unprecedented number of deportations.

Homan was honored with the Presidential Rank Award, which is the highest form of recognition in the civil service.

Trump selected Homan as the interim director of ICE during his second week in office in 2017, and Homan held that position until 2018.

Trump subsequently put him forward to serve as the permanent head of the agency, but the Senate did not take any action on the nomination.

Homan, a contributor for Fox News, has taken on a role as a visiting fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation and is also involved with Project 2025, which focuses on ultra-conservative policy initiatives.

It talks about allocating more money for a barrier along the US-Mexico border, strengthening border enforcement efforts, and raising costs for immigrants.

While campaigning, Trump has separated himself from the political agenda.