Trump Administration’s Border Czar Vows No Safe Harbor for Illegal Immigrants in Nationwide Crackdown

White House border czar Tom Homan stated Sunday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will go “where we need to go” to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, declaring there is “no safe harbor” for criminals and national security threats as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement nationwide.

Homan also defended President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda amid questions about arrests near school bus stops in Connecticut, the removal of Haitians whose Temporary Protected Status had ended, and allegations of mistreatment by ICE officers. When asked about reports that ICE officers arrested parents near school bus stops in Connecticut, Homan said he was unaware of the reported arrests but promised to inquire with the Department of Homeland Security.

Homan explained that “ICE is out there to enforce the law against those that have been ordered removed by a federal judge,” and added, “Especially if they’re a criminal or if they’re a national security threat, there’s no safe harbor for them in this country. We’ll go where we need to go.”

Homan rejected accusations that ICE was seeking to frighten children, calling such claims political rhetoric that contributes to threats against federal immigration officers. He also defended deportations to Haiti after the administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians despite continuing violence and instability in the country, stating, “They lost their TPS status. They’re ordered removed. They got to go home.”

When asked whether he was comfortable returning people to Haiti given the security situation, Homan said he was unfamiliar with conditions there but maintained that ICE must enforce removal orders, adding, “The bottom line is they’ve been ordered removed.”

Homan also addressed the deportation of Milo Yiannopoulos, a British right-wing provocateur and former Trump supporter who was arrested Thursday and deported to the United Kingdom the following day. Homan stated his understanding was that Yiannopoulos had overstayed a visa, failed to appear in immigration court, and was ordered deported by a judge.

Homan denied that Yiannopoulos received preferential treatment by being deported within a day of his arrest, saying DHS has been working to shorten detention times and execute removal orders more quickly. Homan also responded to reports of alleged abusive treatment of deportees who resisted leaving a U.S. deportation flight after it landed in Liberia, stating he did not believe the alleged mistreatment occurred but said the complaints would be investigated.

He added that ICE uses “minimum force required” to make a detainee comply and that any incident would be investigated by internal affairs. Homan reiterated his support for body cameras for ICE field officers, though he could not confirm whether the agency had met its goal of equipping every officer by the end of August.