Tom Homan to Lead U.S. Border Security as Trump's New "Border Czar"

Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, has appointed Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the nation’s “Border Czar.” Homan will oversee various border control responsibilities, including security at the Southern and Northern borders, as well as maritime and aviation security. Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, expressing confidence in Homan’s abilities.

Trump emphasized that Homan was the best candidate to manage the country’s borders, claiming that he would lead efforts on deporting illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to carry out the largest deportation program in U.S. history, vowing to remove all illegal immigrants from the country.

Homan, who previously served as the public face of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, was quoted in a recent CBS interview saying that “families could be deported together,” referring to Trump’s promises on mass deportations. Before his retirement in 2018, Homan led ICE through some of its most controversial policies, including the detention of immigrant children, and was a vocal advocate for stricter immigration enforcement.

While Homan never went through Senate confirmation, he served as the acting director of ICE from the start of Trump’s administration. He had been deputy in line for the role and was temporarily appointed to lead the agency.