Border Czar Homan Speaks Up About ICE Vehicle Stops
Don't Panic About the Pause
Some people are scared that border enforcement is softening. Border Czar Tom Homan promised Tuesday that the pause on vehicle stops will not lower the rate of deportations. He spoke clearly to calm fears while the agency reviews safety rules. The government is not backing down on its mission to remove illegal aliens. This pause is just a short break to fix a specific safety issue.
ICE officers recently faced two tragic shootings in Maine and Texas. Per Daily Signal, an ICE officer fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian in Maine. Another officer shot a Mexican national in Houston last Tuesday. These events led leadership to order a temporary halt on car stops. Homan said that decision was made by the secretary, along with leadership at ICE. It is a smart move to protect our own officers first.
Numbers Prove The Plan Works
Do not let anyone tell you that arrests have stopped. Homan stated that last month they had "the most aliens arrested in the history of the agency—more than last year, more than when you had the FBI, ATF, DEA, Border Patrol, and ICE all out there". June was a record month for enforcement actions. According to Daily Signal, Homan responded with an emphatic "no" when asked if the pause would slow down deportations.
The dip in numbers earlier this year was due to a funding gap. Homan said deportation numbers dropped temporarily due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which lasted from mid-February until the end of April. Now that money is back, the results are huge. "Bottom line is, once we got the funding, numbers are going through the ceiling, like President Trump promised Americans," Homan said. We are seeing exactly what we voted for.
There Are Other Ways To Catch Them
You might wonder how they will catch people without stopping cars. Homan said he doesn't think the pause will impact arrests because "when the alien leaves his home, before he gets into the car, you can arrest him then". Officers can also wait at the destination to make the arrest. "You can wait until the vehicle gets to the destination and arrest him then," Homan said. The tactics change, but the goal stays the same.
Safety is the main reason for this short delay. Homan noted, "Now we know vehicle assaults are up over 3400%". Our officers face extreme danger every single day. "So, I think it's going to be a short pause, and I'm confident that ICE is well trained in vehicle stops and you're going to see us keep moving forward," Homan said. We must support our law enforcement to keep them safe.
The public needs to understand this is not a policy change. "But, look, it's not a policy change, it's a temporary pause," Homan said. Serious criminals will still be stopped in desolate areas if needed. "Other instances, we are going to still need to do vehicle stops for a significant criminal, you may want to stop him in a desolate area before he gets downtown," Homan said. This is a tactical adjustment, not a surrender.
