SAN ANTONIO, Texas
Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) recently held a telephone town hall featuring insights from Tom Homan, who was President Donald Trump’s border czar and served as acting ICE director. Homan urged Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to reconsider their “sanctuary state” and “sanctuary city” designations as a straightforward solution to ongoing ICE protests.
During the session on Thursday, after Rep. Gonzalez made his remarks, Homan offered suggestions to local leaders. Gonzalez praised Homan, calling him “a patriot of our great country who’s dedicated his life to border protection, and we’re all thankful to have him as our Border Czar.”
Homan didn’t just focus on immigration; he also discussed the unrest in Minneapolis that resulted in several arrests and the shooting death of an anti-ICE activist who allegedly drove toward ICE agents after being ordered to stop.
Addressing the disturbances, Homan commented to the City Hall audience, “Local officials could resolve this issue overnight by eliminating the sanctuary policy. Just lock us up if necessary, and let us hold criminals in jail so we don’t have to search neighborhoods for them.”
Local officials in Minnesota remarked that the violence and organized resistance targeting agents in Minneapolis is not typical in states where local law enforcement collaborates with federal immigration enforcement.
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, who oversees CBP operations in Minneapolis, shared in a recent interview that there were nearly 25 assaults in the city over a four-day period, compared to just one during a similar operation in New Orleans aimed at apprehending undocumented individuals.
Bovino highlighted the situation in Louisiana, where State Police Superintendent Col. Hodges has effectively managed to keep agitators in check, noting that there was only one assault on a Border Patrol agent during their recent operations there. “Here in Minneapolis, we don’t have that level of support,” he emphasized.
During the conference call, Rep. Gonzalez expressed optimism regarding future legislation, stating, “Congress is advancing the COPS Act. This would toughen penalties for anyone who tries to harm law enforcement officers, including ICE agents. It’s not just about firearms or knives; even projectiles like bottle rockets or fireworks can injure our officers, and we just can’t allow that.”
