Border Czar Tom Homan has issued a strong and unequivocal warning to California state and local leaders: any attempt to block or obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations will result in arrest and prosecution, regardless of the official’s title or political position.
In a forthcoming interview with NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff, scheduled to air Sunday evening, Homan addressed the recent chaos erupting in California over ICE enforcement actions. The turmoil includes public protests and attempts to block agents from detaining individuals targeted for deportation. “The rhetoric is so high against ICE officers in this city that it’s a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt,” Homan said. “We’ve got help coming, and we’re going to do our job.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have both criticized the recent ICE operations and President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to help manage escalating unrest in California. Their vocal opposition has raised tensions between state and federal authorities.
During the interview, Soboroff asked whether Homan’s warning applied to Newsom and Bass. Homan’s response was firm: “I’ll say it about anybody. It’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement from doing their job.” He clarified that while Mayor Bass had not yet “crossed the line,” federal authorities would “ask DOJ to prosecute” if she or others did so in the future.
Homan saved some of his sharpest criticism for Governor Newsom, whom he labeled “an embarrassment for the state.” He blasted California’s sanctuary policies that prevent cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, accusing the governor of prioritizing political ideology over public safety.
“If he cared about public safety in the state of California, he would not have a sanctuary for criminals — where criminals get released to the streets of this state every day because of his policies,” Homan stated. He went on to say, “I have absolutely no respect for this governor. Criminal aliens are walking in this state every day because of his government policy. I don’t care what the governor thinks of me. I’m not running a popularity contest.”
As tensions mount between federal immigration authorities and California officials, Homan’s message signals a more aggressive stance by the Trump administration toward any form of interference with immigration enforcement. The legal consequences, Homan warned, will apply to elected officials just as they would to any ordinary citizen.
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