Tom Homan vows to “bring hell” to sanctuary cities as he blasts mayors for protecting criminal illegal aliens while endangering American citizens and even their own communities.
Key Takeaways
- Border czar Tom Homan directly confronted sanctuary city mayors from Boston, Denver, New York City, and Chicago after they defended their policies before Congress.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu criticized Homan, challenging him to testify under oath while claiming her city is the “safest Boston’s been in anyone’s lifetime.”
- Homan detailed specific ICE operations that removed dangerous criminals from Chicago streets, including gang members, murderers, and child predators.
- The debate highlights fundamental disagreements on whether sanctuary policies protect communities or shield dangerous criminals from deportation.
- Homan raised concerns about child trafficking and family separation issues that he claims sanctuary city policies exacerbate.
Border Czar Takes on Sanctuary City Mayors
In a heated exchange that exemplifies America’s deep divide on immigration enforcement, former acting ICE Director Tom Homan appeared on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News program to counter arguments made by sanctuary city mayors. The confrontation emerged after mayors from Boston, Denver, New York City, and Chicago defended their sanctuary policies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Sanctuary policies typically limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, preventing them from honoring ICE detainers for undocumented immigrants in custody.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu specifically targeted Homan in her testimony, prompting a fiery response from the border czar who seemed to relish the criticism. Homan didn’t mince words about his intentions, reaffirming his commitment to targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records regardless of sanctuary designations. This public clash underscores the growing tension between federal immigration enforcement goals and local governance priorities as cities push back against what they view as federal overreach.
Boston Mayor Challenges Homan’s Approach
During her congressional testimony, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu directly called out Homan for his threats against sanctuary cities. Wu defended her city’s record on public safety while criticizing Homan’s approach, challenging him to testify under oath. The mayor’s defiant stance represents the position many progressive city leaders have taken in opposition to aggressive federal immigration enforcement, framing it as a matter of community trust and local control rather than law enforcement.
“Shame on him for lying about my city, for having the nerve to insult our police commissioner who has overseen the safest Boston’s been in anyone’s lifetime. Bring him here under oath, and let’s ask him some questions. I am here to make sure that the city of Boston is safe. Others may want to bring hell. We are here to bring peace to cities everywhere.” – Source
Homan, clearly unmoved by Wu’s criticism, appeared to welcome the fight. His response indicates that the Biden administration’s border czar isn’t interested in compromising on immigration enforcement and views sanctuary policies as direct obstacles to public safety. This ideological standoff highlights the fundamental question at stake: Do sanctuary policies protect immigrant communities and foster cooperation with police, or do they shield dangerous criminals from deportation at the expense of public safety?
Chicago’s Crime Problem and ICE Operations
Homan reserved particularly pointed criticism for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who claimed that deporting dangerous individuals makes the city more dangerous. In response, Homan detailed specific ICE operations in Chicago that removed violent offenders from the streets, including gang members, convicted murderers, and child predators. These operations, in Homan’s view, directly contradict Johnson’s assertion that federal immigration enforcement undermines local safety, pointing to the concrete results of removing criminal elements from communities.
“As far as mayor of Chicago about we’re not making this community safer, I went up there and did a one day operation. We took seven TDA members off the street. We took two illegal aliens that were convicted of murder, that they released, took them off the street. We arrested six child predators, took them off the streets of Chicago. ICE is making every one of those cities safer because they’re releasing public safety threats back into the public. That on itself is just stupid policy and we’re going to keep going. Look, they can hate me all they want. We’re coming. I said I’m going to bring hell. I meant it. I’m going to stand by it. And I’m going to do it. We’re going to take child predators off the streets of these cities where they don’t want to do it.” – Source
The dispute between Homan and sanctuary city mayors reflects a broader debate about the proper balance between federal immigration enforcement and local control. Rep. James Comer, who chaired the House committee hearing, emphasized additional concerns about sanctuary policies putting ICE officers at greater risk by forcing them to apprehend individuals in communities rather than in the controlled environment of local jails. This operational challenge creates unnecessary dangers for both law enforcement and communities.
The Human Cost of Border Policies
Beyond the immediate safety concerns, Homan addressed the emotional issue of family separation that often dominates immigration debates. He provided context for family separations that occur during immigration enforcement, comparing it to standard criminal justice procedures that separate U.S. citizen parents from their children when prosecuted. More pointedly, Homan shifted attention to what he views as the more severe humanitarian crisis of child trafficking that he believes receives insufficient attention from sanctuary city advocates.
“Yes, we separated families because we prosecuted parents, and the children can’t go to jail with them. That happens to U.S. citizen parents hundreds of times across this country every day. But they don’t talk about the half a million children that were trafficked into this country. They can’t find 300,000 of them. They’re in sex trafficking and forced labor — not a word about that. The whole Democrat Party remains silent on that. Shame on them.” – Source
The stark contrast between sanctuary city policies and federal immigration priorities shows no signs of resolution. While mayors frame their policies as protecting immigrant communities and fostering trust in local law enforcement, Homan and federal authorities view these same policies as dangerous impediments to removing criminal threats. As these tensions escalate, communities across America remain caught in the crossfire of competing visions for immigration enforcement, public safety, and the proper relationship between federal and local authorities.
Sources:
- Border Czar Goes Ballistic on Clueless Sanctuary City Mayors
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu accuses Border Czar Tom Homan of lying about her city: ‘Shame on him’
