Border Czar Tom Homan Dismantles CNN’s Kaitlan Collins

President Donald Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, clashed with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a heated exchange about the administration’s mass deportation operation.

Appearing on The Source, Homan stood firm when Collins questioned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting illegal immigrants in locations such as schools, churches, and hospitals where they might seek refuge from deportation.

“What is the standard, I guess, to go into an elementary school?” Collins asked. “Because what we had heard from immigration advocates is that this is going to provide a chilling effect to parents in the school drop-off line or something of that matter.”

“It shouldn’t be a chilling effect unless your child is a terrorist or a public safety threat. If they are a public safety threat, a national security threat, they should be chilled. They should be afraid because we’re looking for them,” Homan shot back.

Collins pressed on, shifting the conversation to the broader concerns regarding illegal immigrant parents.

“They’re not off the table either,” Homan asserted. “I mean, they’re in the country illegally; they’ve got a problem. It’s not OK — look, it’s not OK to enter this country illegally. It’s a crime. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I’m in Switzerland illegally. So we’re going to enforce the laws of this country.”

“National security threats and public safety threats have no safe haven in this country, and we will go where we’ve got to go,” he added.

Homan also gave an update on the administration’s deportation operations during a Thursday evening appearance on Fox News, where he explained that the Pentagon was providing additional air transportation support for the efforts.

Speaking to host Will Cain, Homan revealed that the Defense Department was offering significant assistance, including aircraft to help ICE remove up to 5,000 illegal migrants. This, he explained, allows more ICE agents to focus on enforcement rather than logistical tasks, relieving strain on the Department of Homeland Security’s budget.

“You have been offered the assistance of the United States military for airlift support,” Cain noted, pointing out the Air Force’s involvement. “How critical is this assistance?”

“Absolutely necessary,” Homan replied. “We have limited funding right now, so anything DoD can step in and do is a force multiplier. Whether it’s building infrastructure, flying planes, or providing transportation, that means an ICE badge and gun isn’t tied up doing those duties but is instead on the street looking for the bad guy.”

Homan continued, “This was in the plans for a while. We made this happen in a matter of three days. So yeah, they’re welcome.”

Earlier this month, Homan spoke in Chicago, one of several Democrat-led cities resisting Trump’s immigration policies. He announced that deportation operations would begin immediately after the presidential inauguration.

“All that starts January 21st, and we’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois. If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us — if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien — I will prosecute him,” Homan declared, delivering a sharp warning to Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Homan also criticized Illinois’ Democrat Governor JB Pritzker during his remarks.

“Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks, and your governor sucks. January 21st, you’re going to see a lot of ICE agents in your city, looking for criminals and gang members,” he stated, emphasizing that the deportation efforts would ramp up as soon as the new administration took office.

In a subsequent interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Homan expanded on the administration’s plans, emphasizing that ICE would be fully empowered to enforce immigration laws.

“ICE is finally going to go out and do their job,” Homan said. “We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens.”

Watters asked Homan about reports of an upcoming nationwide operation. “There’s going to be a big raid all across the country,” Homan confirmed. “Chicago is just one of many places. We’ve got 24 field offices across the country. On Tuesday, you can expect ICE — ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens. That’s what’s going to happen.”

When asked what ICE agents had been doing during the Biden-Harris administration, Homan didn’t hold back.

“They haven’t been able to do much because Secretary Mayorkas had new ICE priorities. Get this: the secretary of Homeland Security told ICE you can’t arrest an illegal alien if he’s just here illegally,” Homan said. “He’s got to be convicted of a serious crime or be a national security threat. He told immigration officers not to enforce immigration law.”