The individual appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to oversee border enforcement, Tom Homan, has made a significant declaration in a prominent Democratic city. He was present in Chicago, where the mayor has pledged to oppose the Trump administration’s deportation initiatives, and announced that operations would commence on “day one.”
“All of this begins on January 21st, and we will initiate our efforts right here in Chicago, Illinois. If the mayor of Chicago is unwilling to cooperate, he may step aside. However, if he obstructs our efforts—if he knowingly shelters or conceals an undocumented immigrant—I will take legal action against him,” Homan stated, delivering a pointed message to Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson.
He also criticized the state’s Democratic Governor, JB Pritzker, during his address. “Chicago is facing challenges because your mayor is ineffective and your governor is inadequate. On January 21st, expect to see a significant presence of ICE agents in your city, targeting criminals and gang members,” Homan remarked, suggesting that deportation efforts would begin the day following the president-elect’s inauguration.
In a subsequent phone interview with the Washington Examiner, Homan elaborated on the Trump administration’s strategy to arrest, detain, and deport potentially hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States.
Homan stated that immigrants who have committed no crime other than entering the country unlawfully should be returned to their countries of origin, even if they are residing with or are related to individuals who have outstanding arrest warrants.
“In sanctuary cities, we anticipate numerous collateral arrests. These are not priority criminal arrests. We are unable to detain the primary offenders, which necessitates our search within communities, potentially leading to additional arrests. We foresee a significant number of collateral arrests,” Homan remarked.
The federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the United States does not transfer illegal immigrants from local and state detention facilities to federal custody. However, sanctuary cities and states, such as California, prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from carrying out such actions.
Sanctuary jurisdictions across the nation, predominantly governed by Democrats, assert that it is not their responsibility to assist the federal government or collaborate with federal law enforcement agencies.
For ICE, this situation compels them to apprehend individuals at their residences, workplaces, or other locations. Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance have indicated that their initial focus will be on detaining individuals with criminal records, as well as the 1.4 million individuals who have received deportation orders from a judge but have not yet been returned to their home countries.
“There are over 700,000 criminal aliens with prior convictions,” Homan noted.
The Biden administration instructed ICE to prioritize the apprehension of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of serious offenses. Following Trump’s inauguration, individuals residing in the country illegally will fall under these categories. Homan remarked, “ICE will focus on their area of expertise.”
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump indicated that mass deportations could potentially affect millions of undocumented individuals, asserting that there is “no choice” but to deport all those unlawfully present in the United States. During his presidential campaign in November, Trump pledged to remove more individuals than ever before, emphasizing immigration and crime as central issues, a strategy he has continued in his current campaign.
With the support of a Republican-controlled Congress, he may address these issues more effectively than in his first term. Notably, he appointed Homan as the border czar and Stephen Miller as a senior advisor in the White House. Trump intends to initiate plans for increased deportations immediately, rather than waiting until January 20, 2025. Homan stated on Monday that significant preparations are already underway.
“We will commence operations nationwide on the same day that Trump assumes office,” he stated. Homan elaborated that “Twenty-four ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices—some of which oversee two or three states—will receive directives to begin identifying, apprehending, detaining, and deporting individuals in the United States who have been arrested for criminal activities.”
Homan expressed his desire to acquire military aircraft to facilitate the transportation of incarcerated individuals from one location to another.
“I hope we can achieve that,” Homan remarked. “These planes could serve as a force multiplier.”
Currently, ICE contracts 13 aircraft from a private firm to transport undocumented immigrants within the country and for repatriation flights. Homan indicated that he has communicated his request for aircraft to them.
“I have explicitly stated that I seek their support,” Homan added.
