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ARTICLE AD BOX
US President Donald Trump has dispatched his top border official, Tom Homan, to Minnesota as his administration faces mounting political, legal and public pressure over a hardline immigration crackdown that has triggered mass protests and the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal agents. The move signals an effort by the White House to regain control over a rapidly escalating crisis that has turned Minneapolis into a flashpoint in the national immigration debate.
Who is Tom Homan?
Tom Homan (born November 28, 1961) is a veteran American law-enforcement official and one of the most hardline figures in US immigration policy. A former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homan rose to national prominence as a fierce advocate of mass deportations and strict border enforcement. In November 2024, President Donald Trump named him “border czar” for his second presidency, placing him at the center of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Early life and education
Homan was born in West Carthage, New York, into a Roman Catholic family with deep law-enforcement roots—both his father and grandfather served as local police officers.
He earned:
-An associate degree in criminal justice from Jefferson Community College
-A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Law-enforcement career
Homan began his career as a local police officer in 1983, before joining the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 1984. Over a 30-year federal career, he served as:
-Border Patrol agent
-Criminal investigator
-Supervisor and senior enforcement official
He worked extensively along the US–Mexico border, including postings in Texas, California, and Arizona, and later became a supervisor on the Texas border.
Obama administration (2014–2016)
Under President Barack Obama, Homan was appointed executive associate director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, overseeing deportations nationwide.
During this period, Homan became an early and vocal proponent of family separation as a deterrent to illegal immigration—years before the policy was formally adopted under Trump. Journalist Caitlin Dickerson later described him as the “intellectual father” of the policy.
In 2015, he received the Presidential Rank Award as a Distinguished Executive.
First Trump administration (2017–2018)
In January 2017, President Trump appointed Homan acting director of ICE. Under his leadership:
-ICE arrests rose sharply, with a 38% increase early in Trump’s term
-Homan publicly warned that undocumented immigrants “should be afraid”
-He aggressively opposed sanctuary city policies, at times suggesting elected officials should face prosecution
-Homan played a key role in advising DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to implement the zero-tolerance immigration policy, which led to widespread family separations at the border. He consistently defended the policy in media appearances and congressional testimony.
-He retired from ICE in June 2018.
Second Trump administration (2025–present)
Trump formally appointed Homan as “border czar”, giving him sweeping authority over deportation policy. Homan pledged to run “the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen.”
As border czar, he has:
-Supported use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for deportations
-Backed deportations even in defiance of court orders
-By April 2025, the administration claimed about 140,000 deportations, though independent estimates suggest a lower figure.
Why has Trump sent Homan to Minnesota?
Homan has been sent to Minneapolis as the White House confronts intensifying backlash over its immigration operation in the state, known as Operation Metro Surge.
The deployment follows:
-The fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by an ICE officer in early January
-The killing of Alex Pretti, a US citizen and ICU nurse, by Border Patrol agents during a protest last weekend
-Both incidents were captured on video and sparked nationwide protests, bipartisan criticism and legal action by Minnesota and its largest cities.
English (US) ·