Trump administration border czar Tom Homan addressed concerns Thursday about immigration agents halting operations against farms and businesses, in light of recent reports that they’ve been told to stand down.
“The message is clear that we’re going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations,” he told reporters, “even on farms and hotels — but based on a prioritized basis. Criminals come first.”
“Work site enforcement operations are just like any large operation,” Homan said. “We’re going to base them on priority, right? For those who we have a criminal nexus of trafficking, of forced labor, of tax fraud, or tax evasion.”
Homan was responding to news reports that said President Donald Trump had ordered immigration officials to pause raids on farms, hotels, restaurants, and meat-packing plants.
The border czar said this was not the case.
He promised immigration authorities will “concentrate on work sites on a prioritized basis, just like we do at large operations. So if anything, [when we go to a] farm to look for illegal aliens, we’ll prioritize those who have a criminal nexus first.”
“There’s a right way and wrong way to hire workers,” Homan explained. “There are legal programs that bring farm workers in.”
Additionally, he said, “I’ve been saying for years, Congress needs to address this. But because Congress failed to address it, [that] doesn’t mean we ignore it. It’s illegal to hire — knowingly hire — an illegal alien.”
He then praised the state of Florida for its cooperation with federal agencies and held up the state as a shining example for other states.
“Most of the county sheriffs accept our detainers, and they give us the illegal alien when they’re done with them,” he continued. “So we got to concentrate on where we know they’re being released to the street.”
Joe Biden’s name was invoked by Homan as well, when he said, “Where do we find most victims of trafficking? Worksites. Joe Biden stopped worksite [enforcement]. They said they cared about sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking, then they stopped worksite enforcement. That was a dumb move. That’s where you find victims.”
These types of public announcements are providing vital credibility to the president’s overall immigration strategy. This is the exact platform that contributed to Trump’s victories in 2016 and 2024.
The mainstream media smelled blood, however, when Trump seemingly softened on his stance regarding certain economic arenas where illegals are employed.
Yet if the goal is to round up those who crossed the border illegally, violent or not, these areas are the best places to start.
The message being sent by the White House should always be: Workplaces are no longer safe for illegals and cannot be used to harbor them.
It should discourage employers from attempting to hire cheap undocumented labor, and it should force them to consider American citizens for these positions instead.
Homan fired a shot across the bow of sanctuary cities as well, saying, “We’re enforcing immigration law every day. We’ve got over a thousand teams on the streets every day across this country. And right now, we’re concentrating on sanctuary cities, because that’s where the problem is. They knowingly release public safety threats — illegal aliens — to the community every day.”
Do you approve of the work Tom Homan has done so far?
His comments also signal that the Internal Revenue Service, one of the most feared institutions in American history, may be unleashed if anyone attempts to commit tax fraud by violating immigration statutes.
Actions like these — and public messaging from Homan– can lead to self-deportations, housing relief, better social services, manageable classroom sizes, a streamlined health care system, and reduced criminal activity.
Getting such results would ultimately deliver on the very promises Trump made, which swept him back into the White House.
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