Border Security Chief Discusses Government Shutdown and Immigration Policy

Tom Homan, the White House border security chief, shared his thoughts with CNN on Sunday regarding the ongoing partial government shutdown. He suggested that the Democrats’ choice to extend the shutdown isn’t centered around contrasting immigration policies but is more about how those policies are executed.

During his appearance on “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, which marked the 37th day of the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homan pointed out that all but one voting Democrat decided to maintain the current standoff, despite a recent Senate session that did not achieve a full reopening. When asked about the proposed changes in immigration enforcement policy by the Trump administration to break the deadlock, he remarked that the real issue lies not in policy itself.

“I genuinely think this isn’t primarily a policy dispute. We’re implementing the same policies as before,” Homan noted, referencing past administrations. He previously held a role in the Obama administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before joining Trump’s team.

Homan elaborated that the core discussion is about how these policies are applied. “In fact, the implementation of policy takes precedence over the policy itself,” he added.

Data from the DHS indicates that during the Obama presidency, a significant number of non-citizens were deported, leading to notable reactions from immigration advocates. Some labeled him the “Chief Foreign Transportation Officer” due to the high deportation rates during his tenure.

According to an announcement from the DHS, Trump deported around 675,000 undocumented immigrants in the first year of his second term. However, throughout his first term, the total was about 1.2 million, a number that still falls short when compared to deportations under Obama, which were reported to be close to 3 million over two terms.

Additionally, Bill Clinton, another Democratic president, reportedly expelled the highest number of individuals from the U.S., combining deportations and returns, according to DHS data.

Homan mentioned that the Trump administration is engaged in “good dialogue” with Democrats but emphasized the necessity for more discussions to uphold ICE’s mission as mandated by Congressional authorities.

During the interview, Bash also questioned Homan about potential openness to modifying immigration policy to meet some Democratic requests, which included suggestions for ICE officers to have more visible identification. Homan responded by discussing the existing protocols regarding identification and background checks, asserting that many of these measures were already in place.

He further explained that the current situation differs from previous incidents, stating, “We have targeted enforcement operations, and the detention standards remain the same.” He mentioned that issues surrounding access to detention standards have seen improvements compared to prior administrations, which he aimed to clarify in discussions with lawmakers.