Tom Homan cites enforcement actions and self-deportations since the advent of the second Trump administration.
White House border czar Tom Homan said on Monday that roughly 2 million illegal immigrants have left the United States either voluntarily or through deportations since the Trump administration took office.
“We’re at over 400,000 deportations between CBP and ICE, and that’s just since the president took office,” Homan said, referring to Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, respectively, during an interview with Fox News.
He added later in his interview that “over 1.5 million illegal aliens, close to 1.6 [million] illegal aliens already left the country on their own. Why? Because they see what ICE is doing out there every day.”
ICE deportations and other border actions show that people who illegally come to the United States will be held accountable, he said, adding that it will also deter others from attempting to come into the country unlawfully.
“One of the reasons we have the most secure border in the history of this nation is because, the great work of the men and women of the Border Patrol, the great work of President [Donald] Trump and his leadership, but also because ICE is out there, over a thousand teams, all across the country arresting people,” Homan told Fox News.
“A lot of people have left, a lot of people aren’t coming, which helps us secure that border. And that was part of the strategy from the beginning. We said that if we show consequences, if we show we’re actually out there looking for them, many will leave. So, we knew a large population would leave, and over 1.5 million have.”
The comments from Homan come in the midst of reports that he allegedly accepted a cash payment in September 2024 as part of an FBI undercover operation. The White House rebutted the allegations on Sept. 22, stating that an investigation launched during the Biden administration found no evidence of wrongdoing.
In his Fox News interview, the border czar also responded to the accusations.
“Look, I did nothing criminal. I did nothing illegal,” Homan told the outlet. “It’s hit piece after hit piece after hit piece, and I’m glad the FBI and DOJ came out and said, you know, said that nothing illegal happened, no criminal activity.”
Homan then added that after he returned to the government, “I make sacrifices every day. I got more death threats than anybody. I got a security team around me, but guess what? My kids don’t, my wife don’t.”
“I haven’t lived with my wife in months because I don’t want her to be here right now with all the threats,” he continued.
This week, California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill that was signed on Sept. 20 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The impact of these policies all across this city, our state, and nation are terrifying,” Newsom said in a news conference. “Immigrants have rights, and we have the right to stand up and push back, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”
In response, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that California’s new policy is “unconstitutional” and would lead to more threats or acts of violence being committed against ICE agents and other officials.
“Despite these obstacles from Governor Newsom, ICE continues to put the safety of Californians first and remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the streets of California,” the department’s statement read.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement that federal officers “will not abide by Newsom’s unconstitutional ban.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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