President Donald Trump officially nominated Thomas D. Homan on Tuesday to be permanent director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Homan has served as acting director of ICE since January.
Homan is a strong proponent of strict border enforcement and has been vocal in his criticism of “sanctuary city” jurisdictions. He’s also faced criticism for his blunt comments about immigration and enforcement. In May, the New York Times reported that in the first three months of the administration, immigration arrests jumped 38 percent.
At an October presentation at the Heritage Foundation, Homan was firm on the White House’s immigration stance. “Sanctuary cities release a public safety threat back into the public,” he said. “Even the immigrant communities don’t want criminals in their communities.”
He was adamant that ICE will continue to do its job.
“People that knowingly and intentionally violate the laws of this country—enter this country illegally, which is a crime—that’s been lost in the last decade,” he said. “There is not another law enforcement agency in this country where people ask them not to enforce the laws.”
Homan’s background includes more than three decades of law enforcement experience, most of which involved immigration enforcement. Beginning in 2013, he was executive associate director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Previously, he served as a New York police officer, a Border Patrol agent, an Immigration and Naturalization Service special agent, and supervisory agent with ICE.
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