Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, has clarified that President Trump’s massive post-inauguration deportation operation will proceed despite its details leaking to the media.
Recently, the New York Times reported that the president was working on a plan called “Operation Safeguard” to deport illegal immigrants from Chicago.
In December 2024, Homan threatened to prosecute the mayor of Chicago if he impeded the mass deportation plan, suggesting it was planned for weeks before.
“The incoming Trump administration intends to carry out ‘post-inauguration’ immigration raids in Chicago next week,” the Times reported.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the Trump administration had posted between 100 and 200 federal agents to oversee the operation.
However, the operation was under review after specific details were leaked to the media. Subsequently, some mainstream media outlets suggested that the raid was likely on hold.
When confronted with this information, Homan doubled down on the president’s promise to rid the country of violent illegal immigrants.
“There’s going to be a big raid across the country. Chicago is just one of many places. We’ve got 24 field offices across the country. On Tuesday, ICE is finally going to go out and do their job,” said Homan. “We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens, that’s what’s going to happen.”
While acknowledging that the leak jeopardized the security of the law enforcement agents, Homan insisted that the raids would proceed. However, they were still working on the details, such as “when and how,” after the specifics leaked to the media.
“We’re not reconsidering any operation. There was a leak in Chicago. So we’re looking at that leak and find out, how does it affect officer safety concerns?” Homan told Fox News’ ‘America’s Newsroom.’
“Chicago’s not off the table, but we’re reconsidering when and how we do it because there was a leak.”
Although the mainstream media used the blanket term “immigrants” to demonize the deportations, Homan clarified that they will first focus on dangerous “public safety threats and national security threats,” although “no one is off the table.”
Trump’s Border Czar has consistently insisted that authorities cannot track thousands of dangerous criminals, including terrorists, allowed in the country through the Biden administration’s “catch and release” program.
Given their violent nature, Homan said the ICE changed the plan to ensure the safety of the enforcement officers.
“But when those bad guys has a heads-up that we’re hitting you at this time this day, it raises officer safety concerns, specific operational plans.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s Border Czar lamented the leak of sensitive law enforcement information, something Trump has promised to address in his second administration.
“It’s unfortunate because anyone leaking law enforcement operations puts officers at greater risk,” Homan told the New York Post.
However, the source of the leak remains unknown as various agencies under the DHS, including the Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, had been notified of the impending operation.
Nonetheless, Homan could not explain why Chicago was the primary focus of the deportations. However, various criminal groups, such as the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, have infiltrated violent cities like Chicago.
In November 2024, America First Legal filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain records related to the gang’s activity in the Windy City. The FOIA request suggests that TDA’s activities were drawing attention, thus likely the focus of the upcoming raids.
