 "Tom Homan speaks as Donald Trump listens at a primary election night party in Nashua, N.H., on January 23, 2024. AP File")
President-elect Donald Trump’s newly appointed “border tsar” Tom Homan has a blunt message for Democratic lawmakers who might oppose the administration’s mass deportation plans: “Get the hell out of our way.”
According to a BBC report, Homan’s message came in response to reports that Democratic leaders in some cities and states are preparing to defy Trump’s plans to deport illegal immigrants.
Appearing on Fox News on Monday morning, a day after Trump announced Homan to be “in charge of nation’s borders”, Homan said, “I’ve seen some of these Democratic governors say they’re going to stand in the way and make it hard for us.
“We’re going to do the job,” he added.
It is a similar tactic Democrats used during Trump’s first term, creating areas known as sanctuary cities.
“If sanctuary cities don’t help us, then get out of the way… We’re coming,” BBC quoted Homan as saying on Fox News.
Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to his campaign promise of mass deportations, insisting that the cost will not deter him from carrying out the plan.
In his first public comments since winning the election, Trump said that his top priority upon taking office in January would be to strengthen the US border.
“It’s not about the price tag. It’s not—really, we have no choice,” NBC News quoted Trump as saying.
According to the BBC report, citing the latest data from the Department of Homeland Security and Pew Research, around 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the US, a figure that has remained stable since 2005.
The majority are long-term residents, with nearly 80% having been in the country for over a decade.
Undocumented immigrants are entitled to due process, including a court hearing before removal. A significant rise in deportations would likely require expanding the immigration court system, which already faces major backlogs.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMost immigrants enter the deportation system not through ICE, but via local law enforcement. However, many large cities and counties have passed laws limiting cooperation with ICE.
Trump has vowed to target these “sanctuary cities,” but the complex mix of local, state, and federal laws complicates the enforcement.
With inputs from agencies