Sanctuary cities are "sanctuaries for criminals" who endanger communities, President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said Thursday morning in his first press conference after arriving in Minneapolis.
Homan said he was deployed to Minnesota earlier this week to help restore law and order and remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from local communities.
He made clear his focus is public safety — not politics or headlines.
"I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines," Homan told reporters. "I came here to seek solutions."
Homan said more than 10 million illegal aliens entered the country under the Biden administration, including millions of "gotaways" who evaded authorities.
Many, he warned, pose national security and public safety threats.
Trump, he said, promised voters he would reverse those failures and prioritize the safety of American communities.
The border czar said he has spent the past several days meeting with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — all Democrats — as well as law enforcement leaders and others.
"We didn't agree on everything. I didn't expect to agree on everything," Homan said. "But you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions."
One key area of agreement, Homan noted, was that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a legitimate law enforcement agency with a duty to enforce federal law.
Homan said the administration was working on drawdown plan to decrease presence of ICE in Minnesota.
"As we drill down on these great agreements [with Minnesota officials] we've got, this great understanding we have means less so we can draw down those resources," he said.
"When the violence decreases, we can draw down those resources. But based on the discussions I've had with the governor and the AG, we can start drawing down those resources."
He added the drawdown "can happen even more if the hateful rhetoric" stops.
He emphasized that his request is not for local officials to become immigration officers, but for cooperation to remove criminal aliens already in custody.
"Jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities are sanctuaries for criminals," Homan said. "Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals and endanger the residents of the community."
Homan praised Minnesota's Department of Corrections for honoring ICE detainers and said that cooperation has made communities safer — not only for residents, but for law enforcement officers as well.
He also announced progress with Ellison, who clarified that county jails may notify ICE of release dates for criminal illegal aliens so agents can take custody lawfully and safely.
"That's common sense," Homan said, noting that arrests inside jails are safer than attempting to locate dangerous suspects after release.
He dismissed claims that cooperation with ICE discourages crime victims and witnesses from coming forward.
"Victims and witnesses don't want the bad guy back in their neighborhood either," Homan said.
Homan said continued cooperation will reduce crime, save resources, and fulfill Trump's commitment to put American safety first, especially in cities that he said have paid the price for years of failed border policies.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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