New border czar vows to ‘flood’ sanctuary cities with ICE agents

Daily News Article   —   Posted on November 18, 2024

(by Jennie Taer, NY Post) – US Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] officers who spent the last four years stuck behind a desk processing illegal migrants under the Biden-Harris administration are preparing to get back out into the field — as President-elect Donald Trump and his “border czar” Tom Homan vowed to “flood” sanctuary cities with agents.

The move would mean thousands of desk-bound ICE officers will soon be out making arrests of the millions of illegal immigrants who snuck across the besieged southern border and are now roaming American streets.

The federal agency has a total workforce of about 21,000 employees, which includes non-law enforcement personnel who handle administration work, according to a Department of Homeland Security budget overview.

It is unclear exactly how many of the total law enforcement personnel will be reassigned from pushing paperwork, however, sources from a West Coast field office and an East Coast field office told The Post that an estimated 60-70% of their officers are currently stuck behind desks.

ICE sources said the rank-and-file are excited to be “catching criminals that Biden let roam freely in the country for the last four years without any consequences.”

One source said they “can’t wait” to get back onto the streets while another said that while he hasn’t had any experience yet making arrests for ICE, his years of previous experience with Border Patrol will make it an easy task.

It will be a heavy lift for the new administration, however, which will need to train those officers who haven’t had experience making arrests under the Biden-Harris administration, sources said.

In a recent interview with The Post, Homan — an ex-cop and former border agent from West Carthage, New York — put sanctuary cities, including the Big Apple, on notice, warning them to cooperate with the feds.

“If they’re not willing to do it then get out of the way — we’re coming,” Homan said, adding that enforcing tougher immigration laws will require a lot of manpower, “so if I have to flood agents to the sanctuary cities to get the job done then that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Meanwhile, ICE insiders worry they don’t have the resources even with the reassignments.

“The personnel have to be there to carry out these ‘mass deportations.’ Right now, a lot of units have been depleted,” said one ICE source.

“If the fugitive operations street team isn’t making enough arrests, they’ll crack down on them first,” the source added, referring to the agency’s program that assists field offices in locating and arresting migrants who represent a threat to national security or public safety.

“And if that’s still not enough, then they’ll probably be mandated to add more officers to the arrest team to make more arrests.”

There are dozens of vacant positions in each ICE office that need the funding in order to fill them, according to sources.

“They’re not able to fill them because they don’t have the funding for them,” a source opined. “They really defunded us without really saying it,” they added, referring to the Biden-Harris administration.

Homan, who served in the last Trump administration as acting ICE director, said that in his first week on the job, he plans to visit the southern and northern borders and meet with Border Patrol and ICE personnel to get a sense of their greatest needs.

He also indicated that he would prioritize making arrests of illegal migrants who pose threats to national security and public safety, and bring back worksite raids, which the Biden-Harris administration halted in October 2021.

Meanwhile, some migrants are choosing to cross the border now because they fear the hawkish policies of the Trump administration.

One migrant family from Venezuela that crossed into Eagle Pass, Texas, Wednesday morning told The Post that they’re taking a “risk” to come now because they very well believe they could be deported when Trump comes to power. …

Neither ICE [which is currently under the Biden administration] nor a Trump spokesperson immediately responded to requests for comment.

Published at nypost .com on November 14, 2024. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.


Questions

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Read the "Background" and watch the videos under "Resources" before answering the questions.

1. a) Who is Tom Homan? What qualifications does he have for his newest post?
b) What has Homan promised to do when he gets into office?

2. a) What is ICE's annual budget?
ICE's annual budget is approximately $8 billion. (from the ICE website or from an internet search)
b) How many people are employed by ICE?

3. a) To what role were a large number of ICE law enforcement personnel reassigned under the Biden administration?
b) What reaction have rank-and-file law enforcement personnel had to Homan's appointment and subsequent announcement?

4. a) What is a sanctuary city?
b) What message did Mr. Homan have for sanctuary cities?

5. The Post reporter emphasizes that ICE personnel are worried they won't have the resources/funding to enact Trump's policies (in paragraphs 10-11, 14-15). Do you think as President, Trump will get the funding/resources necessary to carry out immigration enforcement and deportations? Explain your answer.

6. a) What did Tom Homan say would be his priority when taking office?
b) Read the "Background" below the questions. What is your reaction to Homan's plan in light of the statistics under "Background"?

7. a) Visit the ICE website. What is the mission of the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?
b) Ask a parent: Do you think that ICE under the Biden administration is fulfilling its mission? Please explain your answer.


Background

Tom Homan:

President-elect Trump announced on Nov. 11 that Tom Homan, his former acting head of ICE, will join his second administration to oversee border control.

In his role as "border czar" ...Homan will be in charge of the southern and northern U.S. borders, as well as "all Maritime and Aviation Security," Trump said in a Nov. 11 post on Truth Social.

"Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin," Trump wrote, adding that "there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders."

Homan, a former police officer and Border Patrol agent, has worked under six presidents during his three decades in law enforcement. He was executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Obama. During that administration, ICE carried out a record number of deportations.

Homan repeatedly praised Trump for being the one who did the most to secure the border. (NPR, Nov. 11)

On March 14, 2024 Republican congressman Tony Gonzales requested information from ICE on people who entered into the U.S. illegally, were released by ICE into our country and who had criminal convictions. An ICE official replied 6 months later on Sept. 25 in a letter which included the following information:

As of July 2024, there were 425,431 non-citizens with criminal convictions on ICE’s "non-detained docket" - a database of people facing deportation proceedings but who are not held in ICE custody.

Of these:

Visit the ICE website at: ice.gov.

Retired border patrol and ICE agents, police officers and guys that just got outta the military want to help:

Tom Homan said during an interview on Tuesday that he has received “thousands” of messages from former border and immigration officials who want to return now that a pro-law enforcement administration is getting ready to come back into power.

Homan made the remarks during an interview with David Webb on SiriusXM’s “The David Webb Show” when asked about what additional government resources he needs to carry out Trump’s proposed mass deportations.

“A lot of guys retired early or left because they weren’t able to do the job they took an oath to do,” he said. ...

He said that it was unfortunate that Democrat governors were already digging in to shield illegal aliens from having to face U.S. law enforcement.

“I don’t understand what city or state would not want to assist in removing public safety threats from their community, removing national security threats from their community,” he said. “But I’ll tell you this, if they don’t want to help us, just get the [heck] outta the way. Because we’re going to do it. You’re not going to stop us. It’d be great if law enforcement would work with law enforcement.”

He said that in just the last two days, he has received “thousands of texts and emails from retired border patrol agents, retired ICE agents, retired police officers, guys that just got outta the military that want to come help.”

"And so we gotta see what we can do about bringing some more people on board," he added. "And that’s all gonna depend on what kind of money we get when we get in there. But, you know, we’re gonna do the job. Despite the hate, we’re going do the job. Despite the resistance, we’re gonna do the job. Despite the roadblocks, we’re gonna do the job. You’re not gonna stop us. So either join us or get out of our way." (Nov. 12, Daily Wire News)