President-elect Donald Trump’s border czar delivered a “clear message” to sanctuary cities resisting the incoming administration’s stricter border policies: comply or step aside. Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, appeared on “Sunday Morning Futures” this week to outline the administration’s proposed strategies to reduce illegal migrant-related crime and enhance safety in communities across the United States, despite opposition from liberal cities.
“You’ve got San Diego writing legislation. You’ve got Colorado and other states and other cities saying they’re going to prevent us doing what I’m doing. I want to send a clear message. If you let us in the jail, we can arrest the bad guy in the jail and in the safety and security of the jail. One officer could do that, but when you release a public safety threat back in the community, you put the community at risk. You put my officers at risk. You put the alien at risk,” he told host Maria Bartiromo.
“Here’s what’s going to happen – you release that guy in the community, I’m going to send an entire team to go look for the guy in your community. And what’s going to happen? We’ll find that guy. And when we find that guy, there’s probably going to be others that are not a priority. However, if they’re in the country illegally, they’ll be arrested, too, because we’re not going to tell an immigration officer like this [Biden] administration did, that you’re going to turn your back on an illegal immigrant. When you’re an immigration officer, you have an oath to uphold, so you are forcing us into community in large numbers where other non-priority aliens will be arrested,” Homan continued, adding: “That’s the exact result you don’t want, so let us in the jail. It’s safer for everybody.”
Another Democratic leader, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, by comparison, has shown willingness to meet with Homan to discuss strategies for making the streets of the Big Apple safer for everyone. The two are slated to meet on Thursday. Homan said on that note, “I’m not surprised that Mayor Adams is coming to the table, because I think his No. 1 responsibility is protection of his communities. I’m shocked other mayors and other governors want to put roadblocks up. I can’t believe any elected official does not want to remove public safety threats from their communities, but we’re going to do it with them or without them. We’re going to get this done.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.