Incoming border czar Tom Homan declared that mass deportation of illegal immigrants will start on "day one," in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.
Homan, who President-elect Trump tapped to oversee border security and deportation operations during his second administration, spoke to CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins about what his border security agenda will look like once the new administration is in place.
"Day one – ICE officers across the country will be out on the streets," Homan answered, replying to the anchor’s question about when "mass deportations" would begin.
Homan told Collins such a project would start as soon as possible as there are many "public safety threats" due to illegal immigration in America, currently.
"Right out of the gate — the president has made it clear, and I‘ve made it clear — the priority right out of the gates, is public safety threats and national security threats. And there’s plenty of them to find," he insisted.
The incoming border czar, who also served as the head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's deportation branch during the Obama administration, added that President Biden’s lack of border enforcement has led to this national security and public safety threat.
"I looked at the data under the Biden administration, the deportation of criminal aliens have decreased 74 percent," he said. "So, we have all those folks that the Biden administration failed to deport, plus you got this over ten million encounters on the southern border that came across."
"So, the public safety threats are plenty, and it’s going to keep us busy," Homan added.
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The New York Times recently reported that the Biden administration saw the highest rate of immigration in U.S. history. Citing a new Congressional Budget Office report, the outlet noted that net migration throughout Biden’s term will end up being around eight million people.
Sixty percent of this net migration is illegal immigration, the report noted, adding that Biden’s "welcoming immigration policy during his first three years in office" was one of the factors in this immigration surge.
The Times also reported, "After taking office, [Biden’s] administration loosened the rules on asylum and other immigration policies, making it easier for people to enter the United States. Some have received temporary legal status while their cases wend through backlogged immigration courts. Others have remained without legal permission."
Additionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) numbers provided to GOP lawmakers in September revealed that there are more than 7 million illegal immigrants who are not detained but awaiting, or going through, the process of being removed from the U.S.
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Among these are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.
Homan is not one to mince words with the media about the upcoming deportation strategy. The newly appointed border czar went viral in October for his answer to a question on "60 Minutes" on how he would avoid family separation when deporting illegal immigrants.
"Families can be deported together," Homan answered.
Homan also publicly called out Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston after he said he was prepared to go to jail over his opposition to the Trump administration's border policies. Homan told Fox News Channel last month he’d be willing to oblige Johnston, saying, "But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail."
