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 acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from January 2017 to June 2018. He has served in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In November 2024, Donald Trump designated Homan as "border czar" for a potential second Trump presidency. Homan's career is largely defined by his involvement in immigration enforcement and border security roles within the federal government.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2014: Advocated for Family Separation Policy

By 2014, under the Obama administration, Tom Homan began to argue that separating children from their caregivers would be an effective way to discourage illegal border crossings.

2017: Advocacy for Family Separation Policy

In 2017, during the Trump administration, Tom Homan became the most vocal proponent of the administration's family separation policy as a means to deter illegal immigration, expanding upon an idea he had previously proposed under the Obama administration.

February 2018: Call for Criminal Charges for Sanctuary City Policies

In February 2018, Tom Homan stated that politicians who support sanctuary city policies should be charged with crimes.

April 2018: Advised Implementation of Zero-Tolerance Policy

In April 2018, Tom Homan and Kevin McAleenan formally advised Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to implement the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy on immigration, including the prosecution of parents and the separation of children from their families.

May 2018: Participated in Press Conference Announcing Zero-Tolerance Policy

In May 2018, Tom Homan participated in the press conference announcing that the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy on immigration was going into effect.

June 5, 2018: Defended Family Separation Policy

On June 5, 2018, Tom Homan appeared for a discussion with the policy director of the Center for Immigration Studies and defended the separation of children from their parents.

July 2019: Testified Before House Oversight Committee

In July 2019, Tom Homan testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee regarding the Trump administration's family separation policy.

February 25, 2022: Left America First Political Action Conference

On February 25, 2022, Tom Homan was slated as a keynote speaker for the America First Political Action Conference held near Orlando, Florida, but left before the conference began after learning that the conference's founder, Nick Fuentes, had praised Russian president Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.

November 2022: Launched "Defend the Border and Save Lives" Project

In November 2022, Tom Homan launched a border-focused project called "Defend the Border and Save Lives" in collaboration with the United West, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-Muslim hate group.

June 2024: Speaker at Anti-Immigration Event Hosted by Terry Newsome

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

July 2024: Statements at National Conservatism Conference

In July 2024, at a National Conservatism Conference meeting, Tom Homan said that if "Trump comes back in January, I'll be on his heels coming back, and I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen. They ain't seen shit yet. Wait until 2025."

July 2024: Remarks at Republican National Convention

On July 17, 2024, at the Republican National Convention, Tom Homan called Biden's immigration policies "national suicide" and told "millions of illegal aliens" to "start packing". He also stated that drug cartels would be designated as terrorist organizations and that Trump would "wipe them off the face of the earth".

September 2024: FBI Bribery Investigation

In September 2024, Tom Homan was reportedly recorded accepting a bag containing $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as business executives as part of a bribery investigation related to potential government contracts.

October 2024: Guest on Terry Newsome's Podcast

In October 2024, Tom Homan was a guest on Terry Newsome's podcast.

February 2025: Meetings with Proud Boys Associate

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

February 2025: Remarks on Fox & Friends about NYC Mayor

In February 2025, while appearing with New York City mayor Eric Adams on the Fox News program Fox & Friends to discuss Adams's cooperation with ICE on immigration issues, Tom Homan made forceful remarks about ensuring Adams follows through on his commitments.

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March 2025: Deportation to El Salvador Despite Court Order

In March 2025, two planeloads of people the Trump administration alleged were Venezuelan gang members were deported to El Salvador, defying a court order blocking the deportations. Tom Homan told the media that the administration completed the deportations despite the court order because the court order was made when the planes were above international waters after leaving the U.S.