The next is the transcript of the interview with Tom Homan, Trump administration border czar, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 15, 2026.
ED O’KEEFE: Good morning and welcome to ‘Face The Nation.’ Margaret is off right this moment. Washington is waking as much as one other funding standoff, and it is unclear at this level when it may finish, as congress is on recess for an additional week. So for extra on the controversy over immigration enforcement ways, we’re joined by White Home border czar Tom Homan. Mr. Homan, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
TOM HOMAN: Thanks for having me.
ED O’KEEFE: I need to start, in fact, with negotiations over reopening the Division of Homeland Safety. They focus on some particular coverage adjustments Democrats demand in how immigration brokers conduct operations. Amongst different issues, they’d wish to require immigration brokers to indicate identification, put on physique cameras, take off their masks, cease racial profiling and search judicial warrants to enter non-public property. Which, if any of these asks are- is the president, are you keen consider- or keen to think about adopting?
TOM HOMAN: Effectively, I am not part of these negotiations. That is being as being executed up on the hill between Senate and Home and the White Home. I am not likely a part of these negotiations. However look, you recognize, they need to say, cease racial profiling. That is simply not occurring. I imply, ICE will detain, briefly detain and query, however query anyone based mostly on affordable suspicion. It has nothing to do with racial profiling. So far as the masks look, you recognize, I do not just like the masks both, however as a result of threats in opposition to ICE officers, you recognize, are up over 1500% precise assaults and threats are up over 8000%. These women and men have to guard themselves. So far as figuring out themselves, all of them have placards figuring out themselves as ICE, ERO, HSI, DEA, FBI, so all of them have placards on them. So I am going to let the White Home and members of Congress, you recognize, struggle that out. However I believe among the asks are just- I believe they’re unreasonable as a result of there isn’t a racial profiling. There may be figuring out marks, however masks, you recognize, why do not they discuss possibly passing laws to make it unlawful to dox brokers or one thing like that? However the masks proper now are for officer security causes.
ED O’KEEFE: There are federal legal guidelines, in fact, in opposition to injuring, harming, threatening federal authorities, so there may be that. And I believe one of many issues that folks get hung up on is the concept that the cop on the road of their neighborhood, a state police officer, different federal brokers will determine themselves with their identify on their lapel. And sure, their using company. However why ought to these immigration brokers be any completely different and in terms of the masks as effectively? You realize, cops exit day-after-day, all over the place throughout the nation get threatened in a method or another–
TOM HOMAN: –I do not know of–
ED O’KEEFE: However why- why need to put on all that and defend themselves when there are others on the market carrying badges that do not have to do this?
TOM HOMAN: Effectively, once more, they’re carrying badges. They’re carrying placards to determine what company they’re from–
ED O’KEEFE: However their identify is not on it, proper?
TOM HOMAN: On the subject of masks I do not I- I do not know of one other regulation enforcement company within the nation that has an 8,000% improve in threats. Simply yesterday, the director of ICE his spouse was filmed strolling to work. His dwelling tackle has been doxed. His youngsters have been doxed and filmed. So no, I do not know of one other company on this nation that has an 8000% improve. And look, let’s bear in mind why we’re right here, Ed. We’re right here as a result of the final 4 years, over 10 million unlawful aliens crossed that border, launched on this nation unvetted ICE has to do a regulation enforcement response to cope with the final 4 years open border, the place they declare the border was safe day-after-day and it wasn’t.
ED O’KEEFE: What’s so fallacious about acquiring a judicial warrant to enter non-public property?
TOM HOMAN: That is not what the federal regulation requires. Congress themselves wrote the Immigration Nationality Act that gave energy on the executive warrant to arrest anyone, and that is what’s arrange in federal statutes. So if Congress needs that change, then Congress can legislate. However proper now, ICE is performing throughout the framework of federal statutes enacted by Congress and signed by a president.
ED O’KEEFE: Effectively, as I recall, you’ve gotten beforehand stated that you simply thought judicial warrants had been needed for searches. There’s been this alteration in coverage in that now ICE can go along with these administrative warrants which might be issued by ICE personnel. Why your change of coronary heart? I imply, clearly there- at one level, not less than you agreed that was needed.
TOM HOMAN: No, I haven’t got a modified coronary heart. What I perceive, and I wasn’t a part of these discussions, is that DOJ interpret that regulation saying in certain- in sure circumstances, administrative warrant on anyone has a closing order elimination already had a due course of issued by a [unintelligible] choose that may enter a premises. I am not part of that dialogue, however that is the DOJ steering.
ED O’KEEFE: Final week, you introduced the months lengthy operation often known as Metro Surge in Minnesota is winding down. ICE, in fact, goes to keep up a presence within the state, however not on the ranges we have seen in current weeks. If issues maintain winding down, when ought to that surge be over?
TOM HOMAN: Effectively, look about as of we already eliminated effectively over 1000 folks, and as of Monday, Tuesday, we’ll take away a number of hundred extra. We’ll get again to the unique footprint, excluding the brokers there to do the fraud investigation, will keep there and proceed their work till they’re executed. The brokers investigating the church challenge the place the folks went into the church, they’re going to keep and get that work executed. However there’ll be- there shall be a small pressure, a safety pressure, what we name RFQs, that will- our safety forces, that may reply to when our brokers are out and so they get surrounded by agitators and issues obtained uncontrolled, and so they’ll stay for a brief time period, simply to verify the coordination, the agreements we have now with native state regulation enforcement, keep in place, and so they reply to a public security risk when wanted. And so hopefully these safety forces- safety a small footprint, safety forces can take away, might be eliminated actually pretty shortly. I am hoping. I believe issues are going the appropriate path, and I obtained religion they’re going to proceed that means.
ED O’KEEFE: This was the biggest deployment of federal immigration brokers in division historical past. Do you anticipate there shall be others on the dimensions seen in Minneapolis?
TOM HOMAN: I believe it will depend on the state of affairs. I’ve stated from day one which, you recognize we want to- we have to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with further brokers. The variety of brokers depend upon the state of affairs on the bottom. What number of identified legal targets are on the market? As a result of we all know we have now an issue with sanctuary cities, as a result of we all know they’re releasing public security threats within the public so slightly than arrest that one legal in jail, one agent wrestling one legal alien, the security, and safety of a jail, which is safer for the agent, safer for the aliens, safer for the neighborhood, they launch them on the street. Now we obtained to ship a complete group, or six or seven folks. That could be a win we had in Minnesota. All people- as a result of now we have now agreements and coordination with jails, we will relaxation that public security risk within the security safety of jail, which implies we do not have to ship six or seven folks out to search for them. So, I am hoping different sanctuary cities take a look at what was- what occurred in Minnesota, and the way we- how we obtained to the place reds, which I believe is an effective place. I hope extra folks take note of that, and we work with the states to let our officers within the jail. You may’t- quite a lot of politicians are on the market on the left or the Democrats saying, okay, ICE, we agree. You need to be specializing in public security threats. You need to be specializing in unlawful aliens who’ve dedicated severe crimes on this nation, however they lock us out of the jail. You may’t sq. that. When you really need us to deal with the criminals, then allow us to within the jail. That is the most secure, most safe place to do our work.
ED O’KEEFE: Just a few different issues shortly, if we will, because the surge winds down in Minneapolis, one of many extra dramatic incidents now could be very a lot in query. As you recognize, two ICE brokers now on administrative depart pending an inside investigation as a result of video proof reveals their sworn testimony seems to have been untruthful. Solely hours after that incident occurred, you may recall DHS had stated the ICE officer who shot the migrant they had been concentrating on was being ambushed and feared for his life. That now seems to be unfaithful. You’re taking that incident mixed with the 2 lethal shootings in Minneapolis and an incident in Chicago just lately the place proof contradicted the federal government’s declare a girl rammed an agent’s automobile, and I ponder, does this all simply additional undermine belief in ICE throughout the nation?
TOM HOMAN: Effectively, look, you recognize, my first press convention in Minnesota, I stated I used to be bringing further inside affairs brokers in, simply to verify officers within the subject was doing the appropriate factor. And each a kind of cases you simply talked about had been turned over to inside affairs. I do know the FBI is investigating the circumstances additionally, so we’ll see the place these investigations lead. However because the ICE Director stated on Friday, folks shall be held accountable and so they’ll be totally investigated, and nevertheless that investigation comes out, then disciplinary motion or prosecutions will happen.
ED O’KEEFE: Proper. A Wall Road Journal report revealed in current days, I am positive you’ve got seen it, particulars widespread issues with the management of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem and her chief advisor, Corey Lewandowski. The report says you not often communicate with the Secretary or Lewandowski, although you oversee immigration points as effectively from the White Home perspective, and that you’ve got repeatedly complained to the White Home about them. What’s your concern with Secretary Noem and Corey Lewandowski?
TOM HOMAN: Look, it is one group, one struggle. I am not enjoying in that media. They’re making an attempt to divide this administration. They need to assault the women and men who work on this administration. Look, do me and Secretary Noem agree on all the pieces? No. That is why we have now discussions. That is why day-after-day we have now a multi-agency convention name and assembly. We talk about going ahead, and we have now completely different opinions. Effectively, these completely different opinions are labored out, and we transfer ahead. The underside line is, we have now probably the most safe border in historical past on this nation. We obtained document numbers of legal aliens arrested and deported on this nation as a result of that is one group, one struggle. The outcomes communicate for themselves.
ED O’KEEFE: However you do not dispute, you’ve got had disagreements with them at instances, even when they have been resolved?
TOM HOMAN: I’ve a disagreement with we got- we obtained many federal businesses, and it is not it’s- not like a uncontrolled disagreement. I need to do it this fashion. Somebody needs to do it this fashion. Then we discuss what works finest on this state of affairs. All of us come to settlement in the long run, but it surely’s a dialogue of various concepts. I have been doing this for 40 years. We now have the- Rodney Scott that runs CBP. He is been doing it for 30 years. So all of us come to the desk. We give you completely different concepts, however we decide on a mission, and I believe the outcomes of this mission speaks for themselves. Once more, probably the most safe border in historical past of this nation, due to our collaboration and document numbers of legal aliens being arrested and deported. The outcomes communicate for themselves.
ED O’KEEFE: Tom Homan, the White Home border czar thanks for spending a few of your Sunday with us. We respect it. ‘Face the Nation,’ we’ll be again in a single minute. Stick with us.
