Tom Homan: “Things weren’t perfect” in Minneapolis crackdown, but ICE not backing down on mass deportations

Phoenix — In an exclusive interview with CBS News, Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, acknowledged that “things weren’t perfect” during the large-scale immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, but stressed that the administration was not backing down from its mass deportation efforts.

“Things weren’t perfect. We addressed it. We fixed it,” Homan said when asked if he thought the administration made mistakes and went too far during the process. Repression in the Minneapolis areaknown as Operation Metro Surge.

Homan said he discussed changes and ways to improve immigration enforcement with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who is expected to leave the agency later this month.

“I had discussions with the secretary Markwayne Mullin. He agrees. We can have mass expulsions, but do it in a smarter way, which is what we’re doing,” Homan added during an interview in Phoenix on Tuesday at the annual Border Security Expo.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump accused Homan of shutting down Minneapolis operations after the fatal shootings of US citizens. Alex Pretti And Renee Bonne by federal immigration agents sparked an intense, bipartisan backlash.

Asked if he thought the ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents involved in the murders of Pretti and Good should face any consequences if wrongdoing was found, including termination, Homan responded, “Yes.”

“If they violated the law, they must be held accountable,” Homan added. “When they violate policy, you need to be held accountable.”

Homan said he did not want to comment further because government investigations into the fatal shootings are still ongoing.

A ‘smarter approach’ to ICE arrests

Homan said the reason the public now sees fewer viral videos of ICE agents making arrests is because the agency has prioritized “targeted” operations focused on arresting people with criminal records in addition to being in the country illegally.

He noted that since Minneapolis operations were scaled back, Border Patrol agents have not conducted seemingly random immigration checks in parking lots and public places.

Homan nonetheless said immigration agents would continue to arrest people they found during operations if they were in the country illegally, even if they had no criminal history and were not the original targets.

“If they enter the country illegally, they are not excluded,” Homan said.

In a recent interview, retired Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who led the largest and most controversial immigration operations in Minneapolis and other major cities, criticized the Trump administration’s “softer approach.” Bovino was relieved of his command following Pretti’s killing and retired from the Border Patrol in March.

Homan said he disagreed with Bovino’s characterization of the change in focus, calling it a “smarter approach.”

Bovino also suggested in this recent interview that the Trump administration was backtracking on its mass deportation promise. Homan denied this.

“He’s wrong. He’s wrong,” he said. “The numbers prove it. Look at the numbers. Look at the number of arrests and deportations over the past year, and you give me a year, we’ve done more. Ever.”

Homan said ICE and CBP have collectively carried out about 800,000 deportations since Mr. Trump returned to the White House.

Asked whether the American public should expect large-scale, aggressive immigration crackdowns similar to the Minneapolis campaign, Homan said, “No.”

But he said “mass operations” would continue, particularly in cities with so-called sanctuary policies that limit local cooperation with ICE.

“We have had a historic illegal immigration crisis for four years,” Homan said. “So what’s needed now? A historic mass deportation.”