White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday said he predicted there would be "bloodshed" if tensions were not dialed back about the presence of federal immigration officers in the nation's cities, and now, he wishes he hadn't been right.
"I said in March that if the rhetoric didn't stop, there was going to be bloodshed, and there has been," Homan told reporters at a Thursday morning press conference in Minnesota, which aired live on Newsmax.
"I wish I wasn't right," he added. "I don't want to see anybody die, not officers, not members of the community, and not the targets of our operations."
His comments and presence in Minneapolis come after outcry over the shooting death of Alex Pretti, 37, a nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital who was killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during a confrontation, and the death earlier this month of Renee Good, 37, who was shot and killed in her vehicle by an ICE agent.
Homan said hostile rhetoric and threats directed at federal officers have fueled assaults and forced Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deploy additional security teams, diverting resources away from normal operations.
He called on political leaders and activists to tone down what he described as "hostile rhetoric" and condemn unlawful acts against law enforcement.
"The hostile rhetoric and dangerous threats and hate must stop," Homan said. "We all agreed to that."
"Everybody here today, we have to stop the hateful rhetoric that has caused an increase in assaults."
He also said lower tensions could allow a federal drawdown, tying any reduction in personnel to a safer environment and cooperation with state and local officials.
"When the rhetoric drops down, that allows us to pull more agents out once we feel the environment is safer," Homan said, adding that he had publicly urged restraint for months.
Homan emphasized that ICE agents are enforcing laws passed by Congress and signed by presidents of both parties, saying those statutes have been in place across multiple administrations.
"These are laws enacted by Congress and signed by a president," he said. "The same laws have been on the books for the last six presidents I worked for."
"I started with President [Ronald] Reagan and ended with President [Donald] Trump. Every administration enforced the same laws," Homan added.
He said protests are protected under the First Amendment but warned that threats, obstruction, and assaults will not be tolerated.
"I support that you have the right to protest. I'm just asking you to keep it peaceful," Homan said.
"Threatening law enforcement officers, engaging in impeding and obstruction, and assault is never OK, and there will be zero tolerance," he added.
Homan said he met with Minnesota officials and local law enforcement leaders and urged them to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with federal officers in condemning unlawful acts.
He also praised Trump's border policy, saying a sharp drop in illegal crossings has reduced fentanyl deaths, human trafficking, and sexual assaults tied to cartel activity.
"A secure border saves lives," Homan said. "Less women are being raped; less children are dying crossing that border; less fentanyl is getting into this country to kill Americans."
He closed by thanking Minnesota officials for what he called meaningful discussions while acknowledging disagreements remain.
"We didn't agree on everything, but we agreed on public safety," Homan said. "We can do better, and we're going to continue this dialogue."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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