Trump administration “border czar” Tom Homan, pushed back on MS NOW host Jen Psaki after she suggested he should be held “accountable” by Congress.
Psaki made the remarks during a segment with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., when she asked whether Democrats are keeping a list of officials they would investigate if they regain control of the House. Among the names she raised were Homan and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino.
“Is holding them to account at the top of your priority list?” Psaki asked on “The Briefing with Jen Psaki” Friday.
Khanna responded, “absolutely,” noting House Democrats would make investigating figures like Bovino and Homan a top priority.
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“Come get some,” Homan replied on “Saturday in America.”
Homan has repeatedly called on lawmakers to tone down anti-ICE rhetoric, arguing it has made enforcement more dangerous for officers. He pushed back directly on Psaki and Khanna.
“We’re just enforcing laws that Congress enacted. And for a member of Congress to say, ‘We are going to investigate officers for enforcing laws that we wrote,’ that’s just ridiculous,” he added.
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Several Democratic leaders have been outspoken critics of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, with some calling for ICE to be dismantled entirely. A bill to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was introduced this week in Congress.
Homan warned hostile political rhetoric is making violence against officers worse and singled out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Rhetoric from the mayor and the governor emboldens that small percentage who go beyond protesting to criminal activity,” he said.
Both Frey and Walz have called for immigration enforcement efforts to be suspended in Minnesota. The calls followed the shooting death of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration agent earlier this month, sparking weeks of protests across the city.
“They feel empowered to interfere, impede ICE officers, put their hands on ICE officers, throw weapons, throw stones and frozen water bottles at ICE officers. I begged the politicians to stop with hateful rhetoric,” Homan said of the demonstrations.
The Department of Homeland Security reported on Jan. 8 that ICE officers have faced a more than 1,300% increase in reported assaults, a 3,200% rise in vehicular attacks and an 8,000% spike in death threats.
