Tom Homan slams ICE critics as he says Trump's crackdown is legal: 'Change the damn law'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House border czar Tom Homan defended the Trump administration's immigration crackdown by telling critics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to "change the damn law" if they oppose how the agency carries out deportations.

Homan made the remarks during a Fox News interview as he rejected accusations that ICE has gone beyond its legal authority. He argued the dispute is over immigration laws themselves, not the agency's enforcement of them.

Tom Homan says ICE is enforcing laws Congress enacted

Asked about criticism that the administration had shifted from targeting dangerous criminals to broader mass deportations, Homan insisted President Donald Trump had been transparent about his immigration agenda from the start.

"President Trump promised to give us the most secure border in history, and that is a fact."

He added that the administration had recorded "historic number of arrests and removals" while continuing efforts to locate missing migrant children.

He pushed back on the suggestion that ICE had pledged to arrest only criminals.

"No one made a promise that we're just gonna arrest criminal, illegal aliens," Homan said. "President Trump said, day one, if you're in the country illegally, you're on the table."

Homan said the administration still prioritizes "public safety threats and national security threats" but maintained that immigration status alone can make someone subject to enforcement.

He pointed to current deportation figures, saying, "The numbers today were 60 per cent criminal, 40 per cent non-criminal. I like that mix."

Homan warns protesters not to cross legal line

The border czar also addressed protests outside ICE facilities, drawing a distinction between lawful demonstrations and criminal acts.

"We don't mind protesters. They have the right to protest," Homan said. "However, if they come and they cross that line from protesting to assaulting an officer, damaging our property, threatening an officer's life or the life of his family, you better pay attention to what just happened in Texas, because you're going to go to prison."

Homan referenced the recent sentencing of people convicted in connection with an attack on an ICE detention facility in Texas, saying Attorney General Todd Blanche and President Trump had adopted a "zero tolerance" approach toward assaults on ICE personnel.

"So, come protest all you want, you're not going to stop what we're doing," he added.

Homan says critics should change the damn law

Later in the interview, Homan criticized the rhetoric directed at ICE officers, saying agents and their families have faced increasing threats.

"The men and women are dealing with threats every day," he said.

Homan specifically criticized Rep Rashida Tlaib, arguing she should have visited the Texas facility after the attack rather than defending those convicted.

"If they don't like what ICE is doing, then change the damn law," Homan said. "We're not making this up, we're enforcing law they enacted."

He ended by defending the administration's immigration agenda, saying, "What the American people voted for is exactly what President Trump promised, and what we're doing."