With Donald Trump’s re-election, veteran immigration official Tom Homan is taking on the role of overseeing the United States’ borders, a key element of Trump’s campaign agenda.
Homan, a former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), regards the U.S. border’s current state as the most significant national security challenge since September 11, 2001. He made headlines during the Republican National Convention, cautioning undocumented immigrants to prepare for deportation. However, it remains uncertain how his role will evolve given the intricate network of agencies managing immigration.
In a pre-election interview, Homan outlined intentions to shift focus towards deporting non-criminal immigrants residing illegally in the country, following Trump’s inauguration. This marks a departure from the Biden administration’s policy of prioritizing deportations of serious criminals, threats to national security, and recent border crossers. The existing framework under Biden prevents deportation of undocumented immigrants who avoid criminal activity.
Homan emphasized a strategic approach to arrests and deportations, refuting any plans for sweeping neighborhood raids. He stated that targeted arrests would leverage investigative processes to identify and locate individuals for deportation, thus dismissing misconceptions around mass deportations.
The controversial ‘zero tolerance’ policy under Trump, which led to separating families, is not on Homan’s agenda. He proposes deporting families together rather than separating them. Homan signed the initial policy memo, citing lifesaving intentions, but now distances himself from the practice of family separation.
Discussing workplace immigration enforcement, Homan expressed plans to revive workplace raids, often halted under Biden’s squad, known as work-site enforcement operations. These operations will allow individuals to claim asylum and seek judicial appeal. Yet, he insists on compliance with deportation orders following due legal processes.
Homan brings to his role a background as a police officer and border patrol agent, experiences he often recalls proudly. Appointed by Obama to lead ICE’s deportation operations in 2013, he gained recognition for overseeing a record number of deportations. Trump’s brief administration saw Homan as the acting ICE director, during which he maintained robust immigration control measures.
As the new ‘border tsar’, Tom Homan’s approach signifies a noteworthy shift in U.S. immigration policy, aiming to tighten border control while navigating complex political and humanitarian landscapes.
Source: BBC
