Donald Trump’s new border czar is adamant the Trump administration will go ahead with millions of deportations, though he’s still not saying how.
Asked by the hosts of Fox & Friends how he would carry out the largest planned deportation in human history, Tom Homan—who served as head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during part of Trump’s first term—said deporting undocumented immigrants who are a threat to national security or public safety will be the administration’s top priority.
He also said he planned to raid job sites, since most victims of sex trafficking and forced labor are found at work sites.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s going to be the same as it was during the first administration, it’s just a hell of a lot more of them because 10 million people are getting in this country illegally under the Biden administration,” Homan said.
Ten million people haven’t actually entered the country illegally since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. There have been more than 10 million “encounters” between immigration officials and migrants, a number that includes people who were turned away and repeat attempts.
According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. arrived before 2010, the BBC reported.
During his Fox & Friends appearance, Homan also repeated a debunked MAGA talking point that the Biden administration had lost 300,000 undocumented children. Finding the “trafficked” kids will be another immigration priority, Homan said.
In fact, during a period from October 2018—when Trump was president—to May 2024, more than 290,000 undocumented children did not receive notices to appear in court. That doesn’t mean they’re lost, the Associated Press reported. It means they weren’t summoned to removal hearings.
Asked by Fox & Friends guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy about how he would respond to criticism of his policies, Homan finally had something honest to say.
“Frankly, I don’t care what people think about me, especially on the left,” he said.
At least that part checks out.
The Daily Beast Podcast episodes are released every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each new episode drops.
