History of Tom Homan in Timeline

Tom Homan is an American law enforcement officer and political commentator. He notably served as the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from January 2017 to June 2018. Homan's career is primarily defined by his work in immigration enforcement. In November 2024, he was designated as "border czar" by President-elect Donald Trump, signifying his continued involvement in immigration policy during Trump's prospective second presidency.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

November 28, 1961: Birth of Thomas Douglas Homan

On November 28, 1961, Thomas Douglas Homan was born.

1983: Became a West Carthage police officer

In 1983, Thomas Homan became a West Carthage police officer.

1984: Joined Immigration and Naturalization Service

In 1984, Thomas Homan joined the Immigration and Naturalization Service, serving as a Border Patrol agent, investigator, and supervisor.

May 2012: Daniel Ragsdale as Deputy Director

Daniel Ragsdale had held the position of Deputy Director since May 2012, a position he was demoted to on January 30, 2017.

2013: Appointed Executive Associate Director at ICE

In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Thomas Homan as Immigration and Customs Enforcement's executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations.

2014: Advocated for separating children from caregivers

By 2014, Thomas Homan had begun to argue that separating children from their caregivers would be an effective means of discouraging illegal border crossings, outlining this strategy years before its adoption by the Trump administration.

2015: Received Presidential Rank Award

In 2015, President Obama gave Thomas Homan a Presidential Rank Award as a Distinguished Executive.

January 30, 2017: Appointment as acting ICE director

On January 30, 2017, Donald Trump demoted Daniel Ragsdale and appointed Thomas Homan as acting director of ICE.

May 2017: ICE Arrests Announcement

In May 2017, Thomas Homan announced that ICE had arrested 41,319 people between Inauguration Day and the end of April, a 38% increase from the same period the year before.

November 14, 2017: Nomination for ICE Director

On November 14, 2017, President Trump nominated Thomas Homan for ICE director.

February 2018: Statement on Sanctuary City Policies

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

April 2018: Advised "zero tolerance" policy

In April 2018, Thomas 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 Immigration Policy

In May 2018, Thomas Homan participated in the press conference announcing that the "zero tolerance" immigration policy was going into effect.

June 5, 2018: Defended Family Separation Policy

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

June 2018: Retirement from ICE

In June 2018, Thomas Homan retired from his position as acting ICE director.

June 29, 2018: End of Term as Acting ICE Director

Thomas Homan served as acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until June 29, 2018.

2018: Contribution to Fox News

After 2018, Thomas Homan began contributing to Fox News as a commentator.

July 2019: Testimony Before House Oversight Committee

In July 2019, Thomas Homan testified before the House Oversight Committee regarding the Trump administration's family separation policy, making claims about border crossings and child mortality.

February 2022: Joined The Heritage Foundation

In February 2022, Thomas Homan joined the Heritage Foundation.

February 25, 2022: Departure from America First Political Action Conference

On February 25, 2022, Thomas Homan was slated to be a keynote speaker for the America First Political Action Conference, but left before it began after learning of Nick Fuentes' praise for Vladimir Putin.

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

In November 2022, Thomas Homan launched a border-focused project called "Defend the Border and Save Lives" in collaboration with the United West.

June 2024: Speaker at anti-immigration event

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

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

In July 2024, Thomas Homan made statements at the National Conservatism Conference meeting and at the 2024 Republican National Convention about deportation plans, immigration policies, and designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

October 2024: Guest on podcast

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

November 10, 2024: Announcement as "border czar"

On November 10, 2024, President-elect Trump announced that Thomas Homan would be joining the incoming administration as the "border czar".

November 2024: Designation as "border czar"

In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump designated Thomas Homan as "border czar" during Trump's second presidency.

February 2025: Meetings with Proud Boys associate

In February 2025, Hatewatch reported that Thomas Homan met multiple times with Proud Boys associate Terry Newsome.

February 2025: Dispute with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In February 2025, Thomas Homan got into a dispute with New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over her educating immigrants about their constitutional rights. He suggested that the Department of Justice should investigate Ocasio-Cortez.

February 2025: Comments on NYC mayor cooperation

In February 2025, while appearing with New York City mayor Eric Adams on the Fox News program Fox & Friends, Thomas Homan discussed Adams' cooperation with ICE on immigration issues.

March 2025: Deportation to El Salvador

In March 2025, two planeloads of people alleged to be Venezuelan gang members were deported to El Salvador, defying a court order blocking the deportations. Thomas Homan told the media that the Trump administration completed the deportations despite the court order.

2025: Contributor to Project 2025

In 2025, Thomas Homan became a contributor to the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which proposes mass arrests, detentions, and deportations of illegal immigrants.