Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Tom Homan, the administration’s “border czar,” has sharpened his focus on sanctuary cities, pledging intensified deportation operations in jurisdictions that decline to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
On July 18, 2025, in remarks to reporters outside the White House, Homan declared, “We’re going to flood the zone in sanctuary cities. You’re going to see a record number of agents in the neighborhoods and a record number of agents at work sites … If they don’t give us a criminal alien in the safety and security of county jail, then we’re going to go to the neighborhood and find them” (White House transcript, July 18, 2025).
Here’s the full official White House transcript of Tom Homan’s remarks on July 18, 2025, as published by Roll Call: https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-press-briefing-tom-homan-the-white-house-july-18-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Homan has since repeated the message. On August 6 and August 13, he told reporters in separate driveway question-and-answer sessions that sanctuary jurisdictions would continue to be priority targets for federal enforcement, noting that the deployments would expand in the coming weeks (White House transcripts, Aug. 6 and Aug. 13, 2025).
Most recently, on August 28, he said, “You’re going to see a ramp up of operations in New York; you’re going to see a ramp up of operations continue in L.A., Portland, Seattle—all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE” (press gaggle with reporters, Aug. 28, 2025).
Earlier this year, Homan previewed the strategy in an interview as he prepared to assume the role of border czar, citing the importance of expanded interior enforcement and workplace operations. He emphasized that cities declining to honor immigration detainers would see stepped-up actions (TV interview, Jan. 5, 2025).
According to reporting from outlets covering his recent statements, the administration is considering using the Chicago-area Naval Station Great Lakes as a hub for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Local officials and immigrant advocates have raised concerns about potential large-scale enforcement based out of the facility. Media accounts also note that deployments in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and New York City have already increased as ICE conducts more neighborhood and workplace raids (Bloomberg, NBC News, Aug. 28, 2025).
Homan has framed the escalations as a matter of public safety, arguing that sanctuary policies force federal agents to arrest noncitizens in communities rather than in jails. His comments underscore the administration’s intent to make high-profile enforcement in sanctuary cities a central element of its immigration agenda.
