President-elect Donald Trump's pick to become his next administration's "border czar" was a contributor to the Heritage Foundation's controversial Project 2025 political initiative that Trump tried to distance himself from during his campaign.
Former cop Tom Homan, who served as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump's last presidency, will be joining the Trump administration and is tasked with managing U.S. borders as well as conducting deportations of undocumented immigrants. His position was announced by the President-elect on Sunday.
"I am pleased to announce that the Former ICE Director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation's Borders ("The Border Czar"), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security," Trump stated in a Truth Social post.
"I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders," he continued
He also wrote that Homan, who contributed to formulating Project 2025, a conservative political initiative that the President-elect tried to separate himself from over the course of his campaign, "will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin."
Homan, who actively perpetuated Trump's strict border policies during his first administration, stated that plans to enact mass deportations were largely materializing. However, costs and other logistical factors regarding the deportations are still unconfirmed, he said on CBS' 60 Minutes.
He also argued that families "can be deported together" when asked how deportation policies would avoid separating families.
60 Minutes: Is spending billions on deportation worth it?
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 7, 2024
Former ICE director and Trump ally Tom Homan: What price do you put on our national security?
60 Minutes: Is there a way to carry out mass deportations without separating families?
Homan: Of course there is. Families… pic.twitter.com/olZz2x7emV
In speaking about plans to enact mass deportations, Homan took the opportunity to clarify that some of the rumors he had heard surrounding the Trump administration's methods were untrue.
"It's not going to be a mass sweep of neighborhoods. It's not going to be building concentration camps. I've read it all. It's ridiculous," Homan said.
Originally published by Latin Times.
