The next is the transcript of the interview with Tom Homan, Trump administration border czar, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 15, 2026.
ED O’KEEFE: Good morning and welcome to ‘Face The Nation.’ Margaret is off at this time. Washington is waking as much as one other funding standoff, and it is unclear at this level when it may finish, as congress is on recess for an additional week. So for extra on the talk over immigration enforcement techniques, we’re joined by White Home border czar Tom Homan. Mr. Homan, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
TOM HOMAN: Thanks for having me.
ED O’KEEFE: I wish to start, after all, with negotiations over reopening the Division of Homeland Safety. They focus on some particular coverage adjustments Democrats demand in how immigration brokers conduct operations. Amongst different issues, they’d wish to require immigration brokers to indicate identification, put on physique cameras, take off their masks, cease racial profiling and search judicial warrants to enter personal property. Which, if any of these asks are- is the president, are you keen consider- or keen to contemplate adopting?
TOM HOMAN: Nicely, I am not part of these negotiations. That is being as being finished up on the hill between Senate and Home and the White Home. I am probably not a part of these negotiations. However look, you understand, they wish to say, cease racial profiling. That is simply not occurring. I imply, ICE will detain, briefly detain and query, however query any person based mostly on cheap suspicion. It has nothing to do with racial profiling. So far as the masks look, you understand, I do not just like the masks both, however as a result of threats towards ICE officers, you understand, are up over 1500% precise assaults and threats are up over 8000%. These women and men have to guard themselves. So far as figuring out themselves, all of them have placards figuring out themselves as ICE, ERO, HSI, DEA, FBI, so all of them have placards on them. So I am going to let the White Home and members of Congress, you understand, combat that out. However I believe among the asks are just- I believe they’re unreasonable as a result of there isn’t any racial profiling. There’s figuring out marks, however masks, you understand, why do not they speak about perhaps passing laws to make it unlawful to dox brokers or one thing like that? However the masks proper now are for officer security causes.
ED O’KEEFE: There are federal legal guidelines, after all, towards injuring, harming, threatening federal authorities, so there’s that. And I believe one of many issues that individuals get hung up on is the concept the cop on the road of their neighborhood, a state police officer, different federal brokers will determine themselves with their title on their lapel. And sure, their using company. However why ought to these immigration brokers be any completely different and on the subject of the masks as properly? You realize, cops exit every single day, in every single place throughout the nation get threatened in a technique or another–
TOM HOMAN: –I do not know of–
ED O’KEEFE: However why- why must put on all that and shield themselves when there are others on the market carrying badges that do not have to do this?
TOM HOMAN: Nicely, once more, they’re carrying badges. They’re carrying placards to determine what company they’re from–
ED O’KEEFE: However their title is not on it, proper?
TOM HOMAN: In terms of masks I do not I- I do not know of one other regulation enforcement company within the nation that has an 8,000% enhance in threats. Simply yesterday, the director of ICE his spouse was filmed strolling to work. His residence handle has been doxed. His children have been doxed and filmed. So no, I do not know of one other company on this nation that has an 8000% enhance. And look, let’s bear in mind why we’re right here, Ed. We’re right here as a result of the final 4 years, over 10 million unlawful aliens crossed that border, launched on this nation unvetted ICE has to do a regulation enforcement response to cope with the final 4 years open border, the place they declare the border was safe every single day and it wasn’t.
ED O’KEEFE: What’s so fallacious about acquiring a judicial warrant to enter personal property?
TOM HOMAN: That is not what the federal regulation requires. Congress themselves wrote the Immigration Nationality Act that gave energy on the executive warrant to arrest any person, and that is what’s arrange in federal statutes. So if Congress needs that change, then Congress can legislate. However proper now, ICE is performing throughout the framework of federal statutes enacted by Congress and signed by a president.
ED O’KEEFE: Nicely, as I recall, you have got beforehand stated that you simply thought judicial warrants have been mandatory for searches. There’s been this alteration in coverage in that now ICE can go along with these administrative warrants which are issued by ICE personnel. Why your change of coronary heart? I imply, clearly there- at one level, at the least you agreed that was mandatory.
TOM HOMAN: No, I haven’t got a modified coronary heart. What I perceive, and I wasn’t a part of these discussions, is that DOJ interpret that regulation saying in certain- in sure circumstances, administrative warrant on any person has a ultimate order elimination already had a due course of issued by a [unintelligible] decide that may enter a premises. I am not part of that dialogue, however that is the DOJ steerage.
ED O’KEEFE: Final week, you introduced the months lengthy operation generally known as Metro Surge in Minnesota is winding down. ICE, after all, goes to keep up a presence within the state, however not on the ranges we have seen in current weeks. If issues hold winding down, when ought to that surge be over?
TOM HOMAN: Nicely, look about as of we already eliminated properly over 1000 individuals, and as of Monday, Tuesday, we’ll take away a number of hundred extra. We’ll get again to the unique footprint, except the brokers there to do the fraud investigation, will keep there and proceed their work till they’re finished. The brokers investigating the church concern the place the individuals went into the church, they will keep and get that work finished. However there’ll be- there will likely be a small drive, a safety drive, what we name RFQs, that will- our safety forces, that may reply to when our brokers are out they usually get surrounded by agitators and issues obtained uncontrolled, they usually’ll stay for a brief time period, simply to ensure the coordination, the agreements we’ve with native state regulation enforcement, keep in place, they usually reply to a public security risk when wanted. And so hopefully these safety forces- safety a small footprint, safety forces can take away, might be eliminated actually pretty shortly. I am hoping. I believe issues are going the correct course, and I obtained religion they will proceed that means.
ED O’KEEFE: This was the biggest deployment of federal immigration brokers in division historical past. Do you anticipate there will likely be others on the dimensions seen in Minneapolis?
TOM HOMAN: I believe it is dependent upon the state of affairs. I’ve stated from day one which, you understand we want to- we have to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with further brokers. The variety of brokers depend upon the state of affairs on the bottom. What number of identified felony targets are on the market? As a result of we all know we’ve an issue with sanctuary cities, as a result of we all know they’re releasing public security threats within the public so relatively than arrest that one felony in jail, one agent wrestling one felony alien, the protection, and safety of a jail, which is safer for the agent, safer for the aliens, safer for the neighborhood, they launch them on the street. Now we obtained to ship a complete crew, or six or seven individuals. That could be a win we had in Minnesota. Everyone- as a result of now we’ve agreements and coordination with jails, we will relaxation that public security risk within the security safety of jail, which implies we do not have to ship six or seven individuals out to search for them. So, I am hoping different sanctuary cities have a look at what was- what occurred in Minnesota, and the way we- how we obtained to the place reds, which I believe is an effective place. I hope extra individuals take note of that, and we work with the states to let our officers within the jail. You possibly can’t- loads of politicians are on the market on the left or the Democrats saying, okay, ICE, we agree. You need to be specializing in public security threats. You need to be specializing in unlawful aliens who’ve dedicated critical crimes on this nation, however they lock us out of the jail. You possibly can’t sq. that. In the event you really need us to give attention to the criminals, then allow us to within the jail. That is the most secure, most safe place to do our work.
ED O’KEEFE: A number of different issues shortly, if we will, because the surge winds down in Minneapolis, one of many extra dramatic incidents now could be very a lot in query. As you understand, two ICE brokers now on administrative go away pending an inner investigation as a result of video proof reveals their sworn testimony seems to have been untruthful. Solely hours after that incident occurred, you will recall DHS had stated the ICE officer who shot the migrant they have been concentrating on was being ambushed and feared for his life. That now seems to be unfaithful. You’re taking that incident mixed with the 2 lethal shootings in Minneapolis and an incident in Chicago just lately the place proof contradicted the federal government’s declare a lady rammed an agent’s automobile, and I ponder, does this all simply additional undermine belief in ICE throughout the nation?
TOM HOMAN: Nicely, look, you understand, my first press convention in Minnesota, I stated I used to be bringing further inner affairs brokers in, simply to ensure officers within the discipline was doing the correct factor. And each a kind of situations you simply talked about have been turned over to inner affairs. I do know the FBI is investigating the instances additionally, so we’ll see the place these investigations lead. However because the ICE Director stated on Friday, individuals will likely be held accountable they usually’ll be absolutely investigated, and nonetheless that investigation comes out, then disciplinary motion or prosecutions will happen.
ED O’KEEFE: Proper. A Wall Road Journal report revealed in current days, I am certain you have seen it, particulars widespread issues with the management of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem and her chief advisor, Corey Lewandowski. The report says you hardly ever communicate with the Secretary or Lewandowski, although you oversee immigration points as properly from the White Home perspective, and that you have repeatedly complained to the White Home about them. What’s your concern with Secretary Noem and Corey Lewandowski?
TOM HOMAN: Look, it is one crew, one combat. I am not taking part in in that media. They’re making an attempt to divide this administration. They wish to assault the women and men who work on this administration. Look, do me and Secretary Noem agree on all the pieces? No. That is why we’ve discussions. That is why every single day we’ve a multi-agency convention name and assembly. We talk about going ahead, and we’ve completely different opinions. Nicely, these completely different opinions are labored out, and we transfer ahead. The underside line is, we’ve essentially the most safe border in historical past on this nation. We obtained file numbers of felony aliens arrested and deported on this nation as a result of that is one crew, one combat. The outcomes communicate for themselves.
ED O’KEEFE: However you do not dispute, you have had disagreements with them at instances, even when they have been resolved?
TOM HOMAN: I’ve a disagreement with we got- we obtained many federal companies, and it is not it’s- not like a uncontrolled disagreement. I wish to do it this fashion. Somebody needs to do it this fashion. Then we speak about what works greatest on this state of affairs. All of us come to settlement ultimately, but it surely’s a dialogue of various concepts. I have been doing this for 40 years. We’ve the- Rodney Scott that runs CBP. He is been doing it for 30 years. So all of us come to the desk. We give you completely different concepts, however we decide on a mission, and I believe the outcomes of this mission speaks for themselves. Once more, essentially the most safe border in historical past of this nation, due to our collaboration and file numbers of felony aliens being arrested and deported. The outcomes communicate for themselves.
ED O’KEEFE: Tom Homan, the White Home border czar thanks for spending a few of your Sunday with us. We respect it. ‘Face the Nation,’ we’ll be again in a single minute. Stick with us.
