By: Ryan McPherson

US Border Czar Tom Homan spoke at TPUSA’s Student Action Summit (SAS) amid the massive efforts of his department in correcting the country’s illegal immigration crisis.

At the opening of his speech, Homan relayed how he came out of retirement to help President Trump fix the border and immigration issues left behind by the prior administration. 

“You want to come back and fix it [the border]?” Trump asked Homan, who was an adamant critic of the border crisis during the Biden Presidency. “You’re damn right, let’s go!” Homan replied to Trump.

Homan stressed the difficulty of working for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), of which he was once an agent. His past experience and knowing what his agents endure on the job, has made him a better director, he said. 

“The men and women of ICE have a dangerous job already,” Homan stated. “I actually came up through the ranks. The 20,000 men and women that worked for me, I never asked them to do anything I didn’t do myself, ’cause I was one of them.”

Continuing, Homan illustrated the mentality of ICE agents on the job and their willingness to take on the unknown.

“I wore the green uniform. I was a border patrol agent. I know what it’s like standing on a dirt trail at 3:00 in the morning. A sensor goes off. What’s coming north? They don’t know. Is it just an illegal alien looking for a better life or is it a heavily armed drug smuggler? They don’t know. They’re going to stand there and take it on. These are the bravest men and women this nation has.”

Homan was surprised, and even disappointed, that no protesters were at the event upon his arrival. For him, protests indicate the agenda of ICE is understood by the general public. However a few people interrupted his speech and heckled about ICE. At the end of his speech, someone yelled at Homan and asked if he was an MS-13 member. After a short series of back-and-forth exchanges between the two, security moved to kick the heckler out SAS.

“They got morons like this all over the country. This guy lives in his mother’s basement…get out of here you loser! If you’re such a badass meet me off-stage in 13:50 seconds!” the Border Czar responded.

Nonetheless, Homan condemns when protests become hateful and riotous.

“But the hate is incredible. It’s just moved from protesting, which I support. You want to protest ICE, shame on you, but have at it. That’s your First Amendment rights. But I said from day one, you cross that line and put hands on an ICE officer, you’re going to jail. You impede an ICE officer, a border patrol agent, you’re going to jail. You put hands on them, you’re going to jail. You harbor, conceal, illegal alien, you’re going to jail.”

Homan relayed an interaction between him and President Trump in quelling the attempts of anti-ICE demonstrators to damage ICE property. These violent demonstrations irk both Trump and Homan.

“Last night, I was sitting on my couch. Actually had a few hours off. I got a tough boss. He don’t give me a day off. Last time I’m sitting on the couch, my phone rings. POTUS. He’s watching TV and he saw the stones being thrown at ICE vehicles while they’re departing an operation. He said, ‘Tom, I’m sick and tired of this. We need to take action.’ I said, ‘I’m with you.’ So, he sent a tweet out last night. ICE officers will use whatever means necessary to arrest every one of those people that throw around.”

“The games are over. I’m tired of this,” Homan said of efforts to obstruct the operations of his agents. “Every public safety threat, every national security threat we take off the streets of this country makes this country safer. Bottom line is, we’re going to enforce the law. We’re going to hold people accountable.”

ICE has prioritized “public safety threats” and national security threats” as its foremost targets. However, anyone who is in the US illegally will not be neglected or pardoned from deportation. 

“We will continue to prioritize public safety threats and national security threats because they’re the most important. They’re the most dangerous to the community,” Homan declared. “But I’ll say it again. If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table. It’s not okay to enter this country illegally. It’s a crime.”

Watch full speeches from all SAS speakers on the Turning Point USA YouTube Channel.