(NewsNation) — Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, defended ICE’s focus, stating that all illegal entrants into the U.S. are “absolutely not” treated the same.
“We’re prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats,” Homan said on “CUOMO.” “We have given ICE instructions. When you look for the bad guy and you find others with him, you will arrest them because they’re in the country illegally.”
He urged sanctuary cities to allow ICE agents into jails. “More agents in jail means fewer agents in your neighborhoods.” “You have forced me into the neighborhoods to find these people. It’s safer for the community, and safer for the agents to arrest the bad guy in the jail. And I think the immigrant community is behind me.”
President Donald Trump has expressed anger and frustration over the number of arrests of migrants being made by ICE since he took office. Raids conducted by ICE in cities like Chicago and other cities with high migrant populations began immediately after he took office.
Homan said last week that ICE agents arrested about 14,000 migrants during Trump’s first three weeks in the White House, which represented 667 arrests per day. The average was twice that daily in 2024.
ICE arrests spiked to about 800-1,200 daily arrests during Trump’s first week in office, but then fell off as migrant detention centers filled up.
NewsNation’s Ali Bradley a contributed to this report.