8 Key Facts About Tom Homan, the New Border Czar Appointed by Trump
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tom Homan, his former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to be the incoming administration’s “border czar.”
The role, which does not need Senate confirmation, gives Homan authority over the nation’s borders, maritime, and aviation security.
Trump praised Homan’s abilities, saying, “I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders.”
Here’s some background on the former immigration official.
A Career in Law Enforcement
A native of West Carthage, New York, Homan earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Marcy.
His law enforcement journey began as a police officer in New York before embarking on a 33-year career in immigration enforcement, starting as a Border Patrol agent in Campo, California, in 1984.
Homan spent two decades as a special agent investigating immigrant smuggling organizations under the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. He later led ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations under President Barack Obama for eight years and served as acting ICE director under Trump.
ICE is a division of the Department of Homeland Security, tasked with border crime, human trafficking, deportations, and more. It comprises two main branches—Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations.
President Donald Trump holds a law enforcement roundtable on sanctuary cities, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 20, 2018. Trump was joined by Attorney General Jeff Sessions (L), Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and ICE Acting Director Tom Homan.
Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images
Out of Retirement
Homan became the acting ICE director on Jan. 30, 2017, after his predecessor stepped down.
Just three days prior, he was leaving his retirement party when he received a call from General John Kelly, asking him to lead the agency under the president’s request.
“I actually retired on Jan. 27 for about three hours. On the way out of the ceremony, I got a call from General Kelly that the president would like me to run the agency,” Homan mentioned at an event in October 2017.
So, he came out of retirement to accept the job.
A ‘Long-Awaited for’ Job
Trump nominated Homan to permanently lead ICE in November 2017, but the acting chief retired in June 2018 before his Senate confirmation hearing.
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“The decision to leave federal service after more than 34 years is bittersweet, but my family has sacrificed a lot for me to serve, and it’s time for me to focus on them,” stated Homan at the time.
“Tom Homan’s coming back,” Trump informed “Fox and Friends” in a June 2019 interview.
“He’s going to be very much involved with the border. That’s what he really wants to be involved with.”
Homan was expected to directly report to Trump and spend a considerable amount of time at the border.
Instead of returning, Homan became a Fox News contributor, a visiting fellow with The Heritage Foundation, and launched his consulting company in 2021. He is also the leader of Border911, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about border security.
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