Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s incoming “border czar,” has vowed to send “twice as many” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Los Angeles to enact mass deportations.
Los Angeles is one of several so-called sanctuary cities that have indicated they will attempt to disrupt Trump’s plan to enact in January the “largest” mass deportation of migrants during his first 24 hours back in the White House. Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, supported a sanctuary ordinance that was passed unanimously by the L.A. City Council on Tuesday.
On Friday, Homan suggested during a Newsmax appearance that federal immigration officers would ignore the California city’s sanctuary status and force Trump’s deportations. He said the president-elect has a “mandate” to deport migrants across the country, despite the wishes of local officials.
In response to L.A. City Council member Hugo Soto-Martínez recently telling MSNBC that the city would “not be collaborating” or enforcing Trump’s “deportation machine,” Homan expressed dismay that the official would risk “public safety” by attempting to defy Trump.
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“Federal law trumps state and local law every time, so if you’re not gonna help, get the hell out of the way,” Homan said. “We’re coming, we’re doing it, and they’re not going to stop us…. If you knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien, that’s a felony…. Why would you push back on this?”
He went on: “If I’ve got to send twice as many officers to L.A. because we’re not getting any assistance, then that’s what we’re going to do. We’ve got a mandate, President Trump’s serious about this, I’m serious about this. This is going to happen with or without you.”
The new L.A. ordinance directs local authorities to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts in most cases. Bass urged the council to pass the measure last week, saying in a statement that it would help address “growing threats to the immigrant communities here in Los Angeles” and “make our communities stronger and our city better.”
Newsweek reached out via email for comment to Bass’ office on Friday.
On November 10, Trump said on Truth Social that Homan, an acting ICE director during his first administration and a Project 2025 contributor, would be the next person “in charge of our Nation’s Borders.”
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders,” Trump wrote. “Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”
In media appearances since his appointment, Homan has been warning Democrats against defying him and Trump next year. During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity earlier this week, he said that migrants have “got a problem” when the White House changes hands.
“Out of the gate, we’re concentrating on public safety threats and national security threats,” he said. “What politician, whether you’re a mayor or governor, is saying, ‘No, I want public safety threats to remain in my community.’ I mean, give me a break.”
He continued: “Look, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table. It’s not OK to cross this border, it’s a crime. Every illegal alien that crossed that border committed a crime. And it’s not OK for you to be in this country illegally…. So if you’re in this country illegally, you got a problem.”
Homan and other Trump allies have suggested that the president-elect’s immigration policies are part of a mandate following a “landslide” election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. However, as vote counts are finalized it has become apparent that his win was relatively narrow.
While Trump did manage to pull off a somewhat surprising popular vote win, his final margin of victory is likely to be well under 2 percent, the smallest in a presidential election since George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in 2000.
