Border Czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that mass deportation operations have already begun as the Trump administration seeks to make good on promises to address the border crisis and crack down on illegal immigration.
“No, it’s started [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] “As of today, our team is out in the field,” Homan said. “We have directed them to prioritize the public safety threats that we are seeking.” We are creating a target list. ”
The administration has promised to launch a “historic” large-scale deportation operation, with officials telling Fox News Digital that arrests are planned on “day one.” On Friday, some media outlets reported on the Chicago operation, but Homan said the leak led to a reassessment.
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“There was some discussion about Chicago as a specific operational plan was announced. So we had to consider and re-evaluate ‘does this pose a safety concern for our officers?'” has addressed that issue and the team is effective today,” he said.
As for who will be targeted in the operation, Homan said the priority is threats to public safety, but reiterated that “nobody can be ignored” when it comes to arrests for entering the United States illegally.
“It is simply a threat to public safety and a threat to illegal immigrants who have been arrested and convicted of serious crimes,” he said. “But let me be clear: It’s not just people who are a threat to public safety that get arrested, because in a sanctuary city, we don’t allow people who are a threat to public safety to go to jail. That means we have to find him.” ”
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Thomas Homan speaks at the National Conservative Conference in Washington, DC, Monday, July 8, 2024. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“And when we find him, he may be with others. And unlike the previous administration, we intend to instruct ICE officers not to arrest illegal aliens.” So if they find out, the others will be arrested too. So the Sanctuary City will be arrested, which is exactly what they don’t want, having more operatives in the neighborhood. And more collateral arrests are being made,” he said.
Homan spoke hours after Fox News reported on the two DHS memos. Among them was a revocation of a 2021 memo by then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that provided an expanded list of “protected zone” areas where ICE cannot engage in immigration enforcement. The policy said it aims to ensure enforcement does not restrict “people’s access to essential services or participation in essential activities.”
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These areas include schools, universities, health facilities, places of worship, “children’s gathering places,” social services, food banks, religious or civil ceremonies, and disaster or emergency response and relief centers.
A memo issued Monday says that guidance is being rescinded and that common sense should be followed instead.
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“Law enforcement officers should continue to exercise their discretion with sound common sense,” the new memo says. “However, there is no need for the head of the agency to create clear rules regarding the areas in which immigration law enforcement is permitted.”
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
Contact him at adam.shaw2@fox.com or at: Twitter.
