White House border czar Tom Homan brushed off concerns this weekend regarding the ongoing budget standoff in Washington, asserting that a lack of new funding for the Department of Homeland Security will not stall federal immigration operations.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Homan addressed Democratic demands to place restrictions on ICE and CBP in exchange for reopening the department. While the funding freeze means many federal agents are currently working without pay, Homan insisted the “immigration mission” remains on track.
“No, it doesn’t,” Homan said when asked if the freeze limits his operational capacity. “And ICE has continued to enforce the law across the country. They’re already funded. Now, the ICE officers won’t be getting paid, but they’re getting used to that, it seems like.”
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The interview comes as Homan declared the end of a high-profile, 74-day enforcement operation in Minnesota. The czar reported that the surge resulted in over 4,000 arrests, including 14 individuals charged with homicide and 180 accused of sexual offenses. Homan credited his willingness to speak with local critics—including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz—for the operation’s logistical success.
“I have always been, you can’t fix problems talking in the echo chamber,” Homan told Jake Tapper. “You got to talk to the people that you may disagree with… That’s how you—in my experience, that’s how you fix problems.”
However, the discussion turned tense when Tapper questioned the “credibility problem” facing DHS leadership. Tapper cited recent social media posts from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem regarding an incident where agents claimed to be attacked with shovels—a narrative later challenged by court video.
Homan declined to comment directly on the actions of Noem or Deputy Secretary Thomas Bovino, instead focusing on the internal investigations he initiated. “In any instance where there has been allegations of misconduct or working outside the policy, it has been referred to internal affairs,” Homan said.
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He also distanced himself from a DOJ decision to halt a local Minnesota investigation into the shooting of Renee Good, stating, “That’s a question for DOJ… I’m not involved in those decisions.”
When pressed on Secretary Noem’s recent comments about the need to “elect the right leaders” to ensure election reliability, Homan again deferred. “I don’t know. That’s—that would be a question for the secretary,” he said, guessing she may have been referring to legal voting eligibility.
Despite the friction between federal rhetoric and local reality, Homan maintained that the administration remains a “strong team” because of its internal debates. “I’m not going to let the media divide this administration,” Homan said. “It’s one team, one fight.”
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