Interview: Border Czar Tom Homan on "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan, April 27, 2025
Interviewer Margaret Brennan opens the discussion with a greeting to President Trump's appointee for border security, Tom Homan. "Good morning, Tom," she states as the dialogue begins.
Homan replies with a simple, "Good morning."
Brennan introduces the scene, noting recent polling suggests some approval for Trump’s border management strategies. The data reveals that migrant crossings are at their lowest, with March having just over 7,000 individuals detained. She questions if the wait for Congressional funding might hinder these policies' potential effectiveness.
Homan expresses optimism, highlighting that enormous strides have been made, achieving an unprecedented level of border security in a mere seven weeks under Trump's leadership—a feat not seen in the prior administration. While secure, he emphasizes that more resources could enhance operations, particularly for ICE, to apprehend individuals posing risks to public and national safety. Arrests have increased compared to previous years, but additional financial support could expand these efforts.
Switching focus to interior situations, Brennan discusses the deportation of three U.S. citizen children with their mothers from Louisiana to Honduras. She emphasizes the grave situation of one child with stage four cancer, highlighting humanitarian concerns and questioning if there was room for compassionate judgement.
Homan clarifies that no American citizen children are deported as deportation requires a judge’s order and applies only to non-citizens. He underscores parental responsibility, explaining if someone enters the U.S. illegally, choosing to have a child does not exempt them from the law.
Brennan pushes for further clarity, asking if it is justified to deny compassion to a critically ill child undergoing treatment.
Homan responds, noting discretionary powers are available to ICE officials, though he lacked specifics on the case at that moment.
Brennan cites a related case where another young American citizen was deported with a mother. A judge criticized the process, but Homan defends it as fair, noting extensive procedures and choices made by parents to take their children with them or leave them with relatives.
In closing, Brennan mentions attempts by families to adjust terms—where the father tried to find care for the child with American kin. She presses on how the process might allow more flexibility.
Homan discusses the decision-making aspects faced by parents in such tough circumstances, notably defending against judicial criticisms of the process.
Margaret Brennan wraps up the discussion, thanking Homan for participating and indicating a return after the commercial break.
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