President-elect Donald Trump‘s newly appointed border czar has issued a stern warning to migrants residing in the United States without legal status, urging them to “voluntarily leave” before the upcoming Trump administration takes office.
President Trump has recently named Tom Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his previous administration, as the border czar. Homan’s primary responsibility will be to tackle the issue of illegal immigration.
On the same day, Homan made an appearance on Fox News, and during his interview with host Sean Hannity, he was asked about the possibility of providing a “grace period” for undocumented migrants residing in the United States. Hannity inquired if there would be a few months given to these individuals to make necessary arrangements before being required to leave the country, as per the policies implemented by the Trump administration.
“Criminals and gang members will not be given a grace period,” Homan retorted firmly. “As we focus on prioritizing public safety and national security threats, those who choose to self-deport should do so, because we are well aware of their identities and we will actively pursue them.”
“If you choose to self-deport, that’s acceptable. However, this administration will show no leniency towards criminals and gang members. Coming to this country illegally is a crime, and those who have committed crimes against American citizens, especially heinous ones, will not be given any grace period. Rest assured, we will be actively pursuing you,” he emphasized.
Homan expressed his full support for the self-deportation of migrants residing in the United States without legal documentation, as long as they were not involved in criminal activities or affiliated with gangs.
During his campaign, Trump had pledged to undertake the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. However, despite making similar promises during his 2016 presidential run, the actual number of deportations under his administration never exceeded 350,000. In contrast, former President Barack Obama achieved a record high of 432,000 deportations in 2013, the highest annual total on record.
According to Trump, he plans to employ the National Guard to gather migrants and utilize the Alien Enemies Act, a law dating back to 1798, which grants the president the authority to deport noncitizens from a country that the United States is engaged in a conflict with.
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump campaign to inquire about the president-elect’s stance on migrants self-deporting and is currently awaiting their response.
Homan not only served in Trump’s first administration but also made significant contributions to Project 2025, the conservative agenda that Trump distanced himself from during the campaign.
Project 2025 suggests that ICE should detain undocumented immigrants who have a history of felonies, violent crimes, DUIs, prior deportations, or any offense that is considered a threat to national security or public safety according to the law.
The plan outlined in Project 2025 aims to remove the T and U visas, which provide legal status to individuals who have been victims of serious crimes and human trafficking and have assisted law enforcement. Furthermore, it calls for the repeal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that grants legal residency to migrants from hazardous regions. This proposed measure would impact nearly 1.2 million individuals who currently hold or are eligible for TPS.
During Trump’s first administration, TPS was temporarily halted for approximately 400,000 migrants. However, following extensive legal battles, the Biden administration took steps to reinstate and broaden the program, making it available to all affected countries.
During an interview with CBS News last month, Homan mentioned that families could potentially be deported together under Trump’s mass deportation plan. He further emphasized that the administration’s deportation efforts would be focused and targeted.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous to think that there will be a mass sweep of neighborhoods or the establishment of concentration camps. I’ve come across these claims, and they are completely unfounded,” Homan confidently expressed in an interview with CBS.
During the first Trump administration, Thomas Homan was in charge of supervising a historic number of children held in U.S. custody. According to CNN, in 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services was responsible for providing care to approximately 12,800 immigrant children.
In 2017, Homan made an announcement stating that his agency would apprehend undocumented individuals who volunteered to take care of migrant children. This policy had been avoided by previous administrations.
“You cannot hide in the shadows,” Homan emphasized during a border security event in Washington. He stressed the importance of parents being “shoulder to shoulder” with their children in court.
“We will initiate immigration proceedings against the parents, at the very least,” he continued, emphasizing, “Do I consider this cruel? I don’t believe so.”
In that very year, he informed Congress that individuals residing in the U.S. without legal documentation “should experience fear.”
