Washington, Jan 15 (NationPress) Dismissing any parallels drawn between ICE arrests and authoritarian practices, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has staunchly defended federal agents operating within US cities. He asserted that sanctuary policies are compelling immigration enforcement to infiltrate local communities instead of focusing on jails.

During a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday (local time), Homan rejected the backlash surrounding recent enforcement visuals from locations like Minneapolis, where federal agents were observed extracting suspects from vehicles and conducting neighborhood arrests.

“That’s absurd,” Homan remarked, countering the notion that these actions mirrored policing in authoritarian regimes.

He attributed blame to the previous administration and sanctuary jurisdictions, stating, “The Biden administration allowed millions to release countless illegal aliens into this nation in violation of the law,” contending that many were criminals due to inadequate vetting. He noted that ICE is now apprehending “thousands of them” as part of President Donald Trump’s stringent enforcement initiative.

When asked about President Trump’s recent assertion that ICE was targeting “hundreds of thousands of murderers,” Homan refrained from confirming or quantifying that number. “I have no idea,” he stated, mentioning he lacked specific data.

While he could not provide exact figures on murder convictions, Homan indicated that a substantial portion of ICE arrests involved individuals with criminal backgrounds. “Between 65 and 70 percent of those we arrest are criminals,” he stated.

He highlighted that there have been approximately “650,000 formal deportations since President Trump took office,” arguing that applying that percentage suggests “a significant number of dangerous individuals are being deported.”

Homan avoided speculating when pressed about whether there were “hundreds of thousands” of individuals on ICE lists involved in murders within the United States. “I don’t have that data,” he said, adding, “I won’t comment on the president’s statements.”

He emphasized that releasing suspects from local custody pushes agents into neighborhoods, which escalates risks. “Now we have to search the community for them,” he stated. “This poses dangers for the officer, the alien, and certainly for the community.” He compared this situation to non-sanctuary jurisdictions, where “one agent can enter a jail and apprehend one criminal illegal alien.”

Homan expressed that ICE and Border Patrol agents operate under hostile conditions, citing threats and assaults. “Death threats are up by 8000 percent, with actual assaults increasing by up to 1300 percent,” he noted, adding that threats against him and his family have “tripled in recent weeks.” He described the work as “dangerous,” asserting that agents face “a very unfriendly environment” with limited law enforcement assistance.

He acknowledged that community enforcement activities lead to additional arrests beyond initial targets. “More officers on the street result in more collateral arrests,” Homan stated, adding that if agents come across others illegally residing in the country during operations, “they will be arrested as well.”