Podcast Summary: The Daily – An Interview With Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan Release Date: June 19, 2025

Introduction In this episode of The Daily, hosted by Natalie Kitroeff, The New York Times delves into the intensified immigration raids conducted by federal agents across the United States. Central to the discussion is an in-depth interview with Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s Border Czar, regarding the administration's deportation strategy amidst widespread pushback from communities, businesses, and politicians.

Background on Increased Immigration Raids Recent weeks have seen a surge in aggressive immigration enforcement actions led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These raids have targeted courthouses, neighborhoods, workplaces, and business sites, resulting in numerous arrests. The heightened activities have sparked significant opposition from protesters, local politicians, and business owners concerned about the social and economic impacts.

Interview with Tom Homan

Goals and Deportation Strategy Tom Homan outlines the administration’s objectives in enforcing immigration laws:

• Enforcement of Laws: Homan emphasizes the importance of upholding national laws to maintain public safety and deter illegal immigration. He states, “We are a nation of laws, right? We gotta enforce the laws.” (03:26).

• Prioritizing Threats: The focus is on deporting individuals who pose public safety and national security threats. Homan clarifies, “We're prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats. That is our priority.” (03:58).

Aggressive Enforcement Tactics Addressing the administration’s ambitious target of 3,000 arrests per day, Homan defends the feasibility and necessity of these numbers:

• Resource Allocation: “We've added more operational teams on the streets. We got like a thousand teams operating every day across this country.” (05:21).

• Worksite Raids: Homan explains the strategy behind targeting workplaces, arguing that illegal employment undermines U.S. workers by allowing employers to underpay undocumented workers. “Worksite enforcement is the number one place we find victims of sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking.” (06:05).

Handling Opposition and Sanctuary Cities Homan addresses the challenges posed by sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with ICE:

• Operational Challenges: “Sanctuary cities are making that difficult. When sanctuary cities do not allow us to get the illegal alien criminal in the safety and security of [jails], we have to send a whole team of five or six agents.” (04:28).

• Resource Reallocation: He suggests that increased resources for jails would allow fewer agents to be deployed in neighborhoods, potentially reducing the need for frequent raids. “More agents in the jail means less agents on the street.” (08:31).

Impact on Communities and Businesses The administration argues that aggressive raids are necessary to protect communities and U.S. workers:

• Economic Impact: Homan shares a personal anecdote to illustrate how illegal employment can harm legitimate businesses. “No one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart. They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less...” (06:05).

• Public Safety: Emphasizing the dangers of illegal immigration, Homan recounts traumatic experiences, such as witnessing the deaths of migrants and incidents of sex trafficking. “I've seen babies getting CPR in the river. I've seen enough dead children... Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.” (12:11).

Addressing Criticism and Pushback When confronted with criticisms that raids are overly aggressive and intimidate communities, Homan defends ICE’s actions:

• Intent vs. Perception: “It's not about intimidation. These men and women are under pressure to not only do their job, but to keep themselves and the people around them safe.” (18:01).

• Safety of Officers: He highlights the risks faced by ICE officers, including doxxing and death threats, justifying the heightened security measures. “They wear a mask because they've been doxxed by the thousands. Their families have been doxxed... It's about safety.” (18:01).

Responding to Presidential and Business Concerns Homan acknowledges concerns from business leaders and President Trump about the impact of immigration policies on industries like farming and hospitality:

• Systemic Issues: “If we need a workforce to do that type of work, then create a legal pathway where they don't have to pay a smuggler, then come with a visa...” (22:20).

• Ongoing Operations: Despite concerns, workplace raids continue based on prioritization of threats. “We are still doing workplace raids. But again, it's based on prioritization.” (23:00).

Deportation Processes and Human Rights Addressing concerns about deportations to countries with no ties to the individuals:

• Case-by-Case Basis: “If it's a significant public safety threat and the country won't take them back, well, they're not staying here.” (23:43).

• Respecting Rights: Homan asserts ICE’s commitment to human rights and civil liberties, inviting specific cases to be reviewed if violations are alleged. “We're not going to violate anybody's human rights, we're not going to violate the civil rights.” (24:20).

Conclusion Tom Homan remains steadfast in his belief that the Trump administration’s immigration policies are crucial for maintaining national security and protecting American workers. While acknowledging the intense opposition and challenges, he emphasizes the administration's commitment to enforcing the laws as dictated by Congress and ensuring public safety. The interview underscores the complexity and contentious nature of immigration enforcement in the current political climate.

Notable Quotes

• On Prioritizing Threats: “We're prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats. That is our priority.” (03:58)

• On Worksite Raids: “Worksite enforcement is the number one place we find victims of sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking.” (06:05)

• On the Impact of Illegal Employment: “They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less...” (06:05)

• On Safety and Enforcement: “It's not about intimidation. These men and women are under pressure to not only do their job, but to keep themselves and the people around them safe.” (18:01)

• On Human Rights Compliance: “We're not going to violate anybody's human rights, we're not going to violate the civil rights.” (24:20)

Final Thoughts This episode provides a comprehensive look into the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy through the perspectives of Tom Homan. It highlights the administration's objectives, the rationale behind aggressive raids, and the defensive stance against widespread criticism. For listeners seeking to understand the complexities and motivations driving current immigration policies, this interview offers valuable insights directly from a key government official involved in border security.