President-elect Donald Trump said in a message on his social media network “Truth” that border hawk Thomas Homan will take a lucrative border security job in the new administration.
Mr. Homan is an experienced border official who served as Acting Director of the critical Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in 2017 and 2018. The agency is responsible for detecting, arresting, and deporting illegal immigrants. Homan strongly supported Trump in the 2024 election.
However, the statement did not say that Homan would be named to lead the Department of Homeland Security or the ICE agency. If nominated and confirmed by the Senate for either position, they would have the money, staff and legal authority to deport many illegal immigrants.
Instead, the statement suggests he will serve as a “border czar” and have an advocacy and coordination role within the White House staff.
[Homan] They will join the Trump Administration in charge of our nation's borders (the “Border Czars”), including but not limited to the southern border, northern border, and all maritime and air security. I have known Tom for a long time and there is no one better at guarding and managing our borders than he is. Similarly, Tom Homan is responsible for all deportations of illegal aliens to their countries of origin.
If Mr. Homan is working in the White House, he has some kind of political, rather than legal authority to encourage President Trump's Homeland Security Secretary and his ICE agency to enforce general immigration laws in the country. will have legal authority. He would not need Senate confirmation.
The border job would give Mr. Homan the power to curb the flow of foreign graduates into U.S. jobs.
These foreign graduates enter the airport legally to take Fortune 500 white-collar jobs. Among the influx are many graduates who have been granted work permits, many who have tourist visas but are working illegally, and many who have re-entered the workforce after their visas expired.
White-collar immigration is at the forefront as President Trump's campaign allies, including Elon Musk and investor Bill Ackman, argue that employers are hiring more foreigners to fill jobs needed by U.S. graduates. It's calling for new border rules to help attract graduates.
These foreign graduates enter the airport legally to take Fortune 500 white-collar jobs. Among the influx are many graduates who have been granted work permits, many who have tourist visas but are working illegally, and many who have re-entered the workforce after their visas expired.
White-collar immigration is at the forefront as President Trump's campaign allies, including Elon Musk and investor Bill Ackman, argue that employers are hiring more foreigners to fill jobs needed by U.S. graduates. It's calling for new border rules to help attract graduates.
President Trump has repeatedly promised to tackle mass deportations after an influx of nearly 9 million illegal immigrants during President Joe Biden's term.
President Trump's deportation drive is likely to first target the approximately 1.3 million illegal aliens who have exhausted their legal recourse to remain in the country.
Next, his agents will seek to deport many immigrants who have been convicted of serious crimes.
“1.3 million immigrants have already had their asylum cases adjudicated and tried before judges who say you don't have standing under the law,” said Congressman Jim Jordan. (Republican, Ohio) said. told CNN November 10: “We are the party of the rule of law… Their cases have been filed. They should be removed.”
Related: America's “Managed Decline” by Tom Homan and J.D. Vance
Trump administration officials also plan to deport many illegal aliens who have been imprisoned by state authorities for a variety of crimes, both large and small, as well as many immigrants unlucky enough to be caught up with other lawbreakers. It is being
Any push for deportation will likely be loudly resisted by corporate-backed pro-immigration groups and pro-immigration reporters in establishment media.
President Trump has not announced who he will hire to run the vast DHS agency. If confirmed by the Senate, that person would play a major role in choosing the new ICE director.
The DHS agency is much broader than border control.
Also, the influx of visa workers, the granting of green cards and citizenship, counterterrorism operations, airline security, the U.S. Secret Intelligence Service, disaster relief and FEMA spending, cooperation with many foreign countries, drug smuggling, national cybersecurity, etc. is also managed. Other than that. The mission is far broader than Homan's significant experience in border control.
In 2018, Trump unexpectedly selected a pro-establishment careerist, Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, to run the agency. He then replaced him with another careerist, Kirsten Nielsen, and then appointed Chad Wolf, a former lobbyist for Indian companies that hire H-1B workers instead of U.S. professionals.
President Trump first took control of the border in 2019, when he intervened and threatened Mexico with huge tariffs.
Stephen Miller, a top immigration aide, played a valuable role in the White House by coaxing and intimidating agency officials into rewriting and updating regulations, including one that barred poor immigrants from getting green cards. Ta.
But the failure of Trump administration officials at the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively advance their reform agenda has led to President Joe Biden's pro-immigration lawmakers reversing many of Miller's gains. It became.
But in 2024, President Trump may be more careful to avoid relying on the many establishment careerists with deep personal and financial ties to pro-immigration groups and corporations.
