By Stephen Dinan The Washington Times Monday, November 11, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump will tap Tom Homan, who ran the government’s deportation agency in the first Trump administration, as his border czar.
Mr. Homan, whom Mr. Trump announced on social media Sunday, has become one of the fiercest critics of the Biden administration’s handling of immigration.
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin,” Mr. Trump said.
There is no formal border czar position in government, but the role will likely mean Mr. Homan serves as the president’s senior adviser on the issue, with authority to coordinate policy among various agencies and to see that the president’s wishes are carried out.
In the Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris was dubbed the border czar by news media and Washington politicians after President Biden in 2021 gave her the job of trying to slow down the number of migrants leaving Central America.
She resisted the czar label and avoided visiting the U.S.-Mexico border from summer 2021 until deep into this year’s presidential campaign.
Mr. Homan served as acting director at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the start of the Trump administration. He had been nominated to hold the position in full met resistance in the Senate, where he never saw a confirmation vote.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
