Major Controversies Surrounding Tom Homan: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Tom Homan—discover key moments of controversy.

Thomas Douglas Homan is an American law enforcement officer who served as the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from January 2017 to June 2018. He served during the Obama administration and the first Trump administration. In November 2024, Donald Trump designated Homan as "border czar" for Trump's potential second presidency.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

June 2024: Speaker at an anti-immigration event hosted by Terry Newsome

In June 2024, Tom Homan was a featured speaker at an anti-immigration event hosted by Terry Newsome in Chicago.

July 2024: Remarks at National Conservatism Conference and Republican National Convention

In July 2024, at a National Conservatism Conference meeting, Tom Homan stated his intention to run the "biggest deportation force" if Trump returned to office in 2025. On July 17 at the 2024 Republican National Convention, he criticized Biden's immigration policies and advocated for designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

September 2024: Federal bribery investigation

In September 2024, Tom Homan became the subject of a federal bribery investigation after reportedly being recorded accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents, who were posing as contractors seeking to secure government contracts during a potential second Trump administration.

September 2024: Reportedly recorded accepting a bag of cash from FBI agents

In September 2024, Tom Homan was reportedly recorded accepting a bag containing $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as business executives, who were investigating allegations that Homan accepted bribes from border security companies for the promise of government contracts if Trump won the 2024 election.

February 2025: Reported meetings with Proud Boys associate

In February 2025, Hatewatch reported that Tom Homan met multiple times with Proud Boys associate Terry Newsome, including after the 2024 election, presumably to discuss mass deportation.

March 2025: Deportations to El Salvador despite court order

In March 2025, the Trump administration, with Tom Homan's involvement, deported two planeloads of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, defying a court order blocking the deportations. Homan stated that the deportations were completed as the planes were in international air space when the order was issued and that deportations would continue regardless of judicial opinions.

April 17, 2025: Interview Regarding Deportation of American Citizens

On April 17, 2025, Tom Homan was interviewed by Kaitlan Collins about the deportation of American citizens to foreign prisons, and stated the issue was "out of his lane" and referred the question to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

2025: Closure of bribery case

In 2025, after Trump became president, Justice Department officials closed the case against Tom Homan, citing insufficient evidence that he had agreed to perform specific official acts in exchange for money. The White House denied allegations of wrongdoing.

2025: Intention to create a large deportation force

In July 2024, Tom Homan said that if Trump returned to office in January 2025, he would create the "biggest deportation force" the country had ever seen.