Trump’s Border Czar Nominee Issues Stark Warning to Chicago Mayor

Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for border czar, has issued a bold promise in one of America’s largest Democratic strongholds.

During a visit to Chicago—where the mayor has vowed to oppose the Trump administration’s deportation efforts—Homan made it clear that he plans to take action starting “day one.”

Speaking at a Christmas gathering hosted by the Northwest Side GOP on Monday, Homan declared, “All that starts January 21st, and we’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois.”

In a direct challenge to Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson, he warned, “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 didn’t stop there, taking aim at Illinois’ Democratic Governor JB Pritzker. “Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks,” he bluntly stated.

He continued, “January 21st, you’re going to look for a lot of ICE agents in your city, looking for criminals and gang members,” signaling that deportations would begin immediately after Trump’s inauguration.

The governor’s office hit back with a strong statement. “It’s no secret that Illinois will face countless, baseless attacks over the next four years from the Trump Administration. Rather than responding to every ridiculous boast from Trump lackeys, Governor Pritzker is focused on what he was focused on during the first Trump term: leading our state with competence instead of chaos.”

WATCH:

During a November CNN segment, host Kasie Hunt interviewed Homan, playing two clips. The first featured Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who vowed to obstruct Homan’s efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants. Johnston drew national attention by suggesting that city police could block federal immigration authorities, likening such resistance to “Tiananmen Square.”

In response, Hunt aired a Fox News segment where Homan, speaking with Sean Hannity, asserted that Johnston and other defiant officials could face legal consequences for interfering with federal enforcement.

“But look, me and the Denver mayor agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail. I’m willing to put him in jail. There’s a statute, Title 8, United States Code 1324 – AAA. And what it says is it’s a felony if you knowingly harbor and conceal illegal aliens from immigration authorities. It is also a felony to impede a federal law enforcement officer,” Homan explained.

He added, “If you don’t want to help, that’s fine. He can get the hell out of the way, but we’re going to go do the job. President Trump has a mandate from the American people. We’ve got to secure this country and save American lives.”

Hunt’s reaction? A stunned “Ooof!”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, also faced backlash earlier in November for pledging to deny federal authorities access to city resources during operations targeting violent criminals. While a 2014 city ordinance prevents cooperation on civil immigration matters, it doesn’t apply to criminal cases. Wu told a local station, “We are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and having large-scale economic impact.”

During his interview with Hannity, Homan outlined the responsibilities Trump has entrusted him with, emphasizing public safety. “I find it shocking that any mayor of a city would say—President Trump’s been clear. We want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats.”

Homan added, “I find it hard to believe that any mayor or governor would say they don’t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods. I mean, I don’t know what the hell is going on in Denver, but we’re going to go and we’re going to fix it. If you don’t want to fix it, if he doesn’t want to protect his communities, President Trump and ICE will.”

When Hannity asked if his commitment to enforcing the law extended to states like Colorado, Illinois, New York, and California despite opposition, Homan’s response was unequivocal: “We’re going to enforce the law, period, and they’re not going to stop us.”