Homan Defends ICE Against Claims of Terrorizing Children

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, dismissed allegations that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is trying to “terrorize” children. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan stated, “ICE is not in the business of terrorizing children.” This came in response to remarks made by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, who claimed on X that “ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops” in Danbury, Connecticut.

Murphy’s office did not provide immediate comment when approached for a response.

During the discussion, Bash referenced Murphy’s statement about ICE officers targeting parents at school bus stops, where he mentioned, “they are just targeting parents sitting at school bus stops just to terrorize little kids.” She then asked Homan if ICE was detaining parents in such scenarios.

In response, Homan clarified, “ICE isn’t in the business of terrorizing children. That’s just political fire. ICE is enforcing laws established by Congress, which sometimes leads to the arrest of illegal aliens, including parents. However, the goal isn’t to frighten children but to locate individuals who have final orders of removal, overstayed their visas, or committed crimes.” He emphasized that ICE does not intend to frighten kids.

Homan further criticized Murphy’s comments as “political statements designed to incite the public,” linking them to a drastic increase—over 9,000%—in threats against ICE officers. He pointed out that no other law enforcement agency faces such a high percentage increase in threats.

“A lot of this hostility stems from hate-filled rhetoric and a misunderstanding of ICE’s function,” he said, mentioning the Delaney Hall situation as an example of misinformation.

“There was significant protest related to Delaney Hall,” Homan recounted about the events in Newark, New Jersey, “People were claiming a hunger strike, but they were still eating from the commissary, and there were no reports of anyone lacking medication. The claim that a father was arrested while buying diapers was misleading; he was actually arrested at a jail on domestic violence charges.”

Homan remarked on how such false narratives often gain traction, yet when proven incorrect, they aren’t revisited publicly. “No one ever states, ‘We were wrong. There wasn’t a hunger strike, and there wasn’t mistreatment at that facility,’” he concluded.