Border Czar Tom Homan delivered a forceful defense of the Trump administration’s immigration policies during a tense appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, sharply criticizing the Biden administration’s approach to the border and accusing Democrats of hypocrisy. “We want people, if you’re in the country, go home, do things the right way,” Homan said during the segment.
He added that people in the U.S. illegally who choose to leave voluntarily maintain the ability to re-enter legally under various visa categories, without facing the re-entry ban triggered by formal deportation. “Come into the country the right way,” he said. “That leaves that ability open for you.” However, the tone shifted sharply as Homan attributed the surge in illegal crossings, the humanitarian crisis at the border, and fentanyl deaths to Biden-era policies.
“When you take Border Patrol off the line… that’s when the fentanyl comes across… that’s when sex trafficking in women and children went up 600%… that’s when a record number of people on terrorist watchlists comes across an unguarded border,” Homan said. Co-host Joe Scarborough tried to steer the discussion toward concerns about due process, citing recent criticisms regarding deportation procedures. “That strikes a lot of Americans as being un-American,” Scarborough said, further claiming that even conservatives believe there’s a right way and wrong way to handle immigration enforcement.
But the border czar flatly rejected that argument. “The American people voted for Donald Trump,” Homan countered. “Vast majority of Americans want illegal aliens removed from this country… There are millions… doing their background investigation, paying their fees… while 10.5 million illegal immigrants came… which is a violation of law.” Scarborough questioned Homan regarding concerns about the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s position on due process. “You cannot remove somebody that is here, even illegally, without giving them notice and without giving them due process before a judge,” he argued.
But Homan stuck to his guns. “We are using the laws on the books… We’re following the law, unlike the last administration… But now they expect a vetting process for those who’ve seen an immigration judgment or removed… It’s just ridiculous,” he said, noting that the majority of illegal aliens being sought already have deportation orders on file. He added, “Not one person was vetted coming into America, now Democrats want to vet everyone we deport. We treat all people humanely. I’ve been doing this since 1984. We do things humanely. We’re the most giving nation in the world.”
He then went on to cite some recent border crossing stats to bolster his case that President Trump’s policies are working. “When 95 percent less people are coming across that border illegally, how many women aren’t being sexually assaulted? How many children aren’t dying? How many pounds of fentanyl isn’t coming across to kill Americans?” he said.