Tom Homan: Border Czar. And now, Tom Homan: Voice of Reason?
In the midst of a rhetorical war that nearly turned into a street war, where all sides seem intent on escalating tension and jumping to conclusions, Homan reminded everyone of the proper way to deal with use-of-force events. Newly minted CBS News anchor Tony Dokupil sat down with Homan just a few hours after the fatal shooting during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, and pressed the border czar to offer his conclusions.
Homan refused, and expressed frustration that public officials on both sides had already jumped into that fray. “The investigation has just started,” Homan said, and then insisted that he would not reach any conclusion on the justification for the shooting until he’s seen all of the evidence. “It would be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation,” Homan explained. “What good would it do for me to prejudge the facts of what happened today?” Homan asked.
It depends on what one wants from this incident:
Exclusive: Border Czar Tom Homan tells @tonydokoupil that it’s important to let the investigation in Minneapolis of the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by ICE agents “play out.” He declined to comment on viral videos circulating online, saying it would be “unprofessional”… pic.twitter.com/2AL3WIE7AQ
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) January 8, 2026
If one wants justice, then Homan’s questions are valid. If one wants to curry political favor and stir up violent unrest, well … the calculations are different. Note too that Homan’s remarks apply equally to all those jumping to conclusions. Dokupil focuses on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Donald Trump, but it also applies to Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, Keith Ellison, Ilhan Omar, and so on.
And that is a big change from what had been considered responsible governance in the past, and for good reason. It’s one thing for these arguments to take place on social media, around water coolers, or even on sidewalks in lawful demonstrations. Jumping to conclusions in those settings is also irresponsible, but of little consequence except to personal reputations and potential propagation of misinformation. Those ills have been with us since the world began.
Governance, however, requires what Homan displays here: a refusal to take the bait and a determination to prevent making bad situations worse. Responsible governance gains nothing from jumping to conclusions, because responsible governance has a critical stake in due process and public safety. Homan makes both cases in this short discussion with Dokupil, especially in due process, which in our system has to function properly to discourage mob ‘justice’ of the kind seen in major American cities in 2020 – especially Minneapolis. If governance fails to act responsibly, then governance collapses, and our cities and states stop functioning rationally.
Homan has a clear investment in rational governance. Does Walz? Does Frey? If so, they were hardly demonstrating it yesterday, and still have yet to catch up.
The Free Press editorial board took note of Homan’s equanimity, and the lack thereof from nearly everyone else involved:
The task of sorting through and weighing ambiguous evidence belongs to police investigators, government commissions, judges, and jurors. Each step of their processes requires time and deliberation. While the investigations progress, elected officials and agency heads are expected to comment only on what’s known for certain, while reassuring the public and mourning the dead.
Unfortunately, too many politicians and senior bureaucrats have decided that they must react to every tragedy according to the speed and logic of the internet, which goads them to offer the most partisan take they can muster, as quickly as possible, lest the other side’s narrative sway the public first. They spread falsehoods and baseless conclusions with no apparent remorse. …
These omissions, overstatements, and distortions reflect the mood of the country, and specifically the debate over immigration enforcement. Walz referred to ICE last year as the “modern-day Gestapo,” while California governor Gavin Newsom and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson have both smeared immigration officers as the “secret police.” Meanwhile, Noem isn’t alone in tarring a large segment of the left as terrorists. White House adviser Stephen Miller called anti-ICE protests last year an “insurrection” as the administration sent in the National Guard.
Even that, though, should be seen through the lens of responsible governance. We have immigration laws passed by Congress, and agencies tasked with enforcing those laws funded by Congress. Congress has not changed these laws to change the laws or their enforcement. The United States had a presidential election in 2024 where immigration enforcement played a large role in the debate over the presidency, and the people chose the candidate who promised muscular enforcement of both border security and immigration laws.
The efforts by Walz, Newsom, and Democrats generally have aimed at thwarting the enforcement of these laws and the will of the electorate in choosing a change of policy on enforcement. That is not rational governance either; it is an attempt at nullification of an election. These same figures have used escalating rhetoric to obstruct legitimate enforcement efforts, in large part by encouraging people to stick themselves in the middle of ICE operations with the intent to disrupt enforcement and put ICE agents in danger. The context for this incident goes well beyond what the Free Press editors rightly point out, and that context makes the “pox upon both houses” a little less than a robust defense for responsible governance than it otherwise might be.
In short, Walz and his allies have been trying to get people killed in order to escalate the situation and suit their political ambitions. When that happened, they leapt to exploit the unnecessary tragedy. That’s the real story from Minneapolis.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
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