US President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has indicated potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations at educational institutions, raising concerns amongst educators nationwide.
Homan, who has served as the acting director of ICE during Trump’s previous administration, defended the possibility of conducting operations in schools, citing the presence of teenage gang affiliates.
“How many MS-13 members are at the ages 14 to 17? Many of them,”he said while discussing the Los Angeles-originated criminal organisation.
He questioned the exceptional nature of restrictions placed on ICE, stating, “Name another agency, another law enforcement agency [that] has those types of requirements, that they can’t walk into a school or doctor’s office or a medical campus. No other agencies have these standards.”
“These are well-trained officers, we’re allowed discretion, and when it comes to a sense of location, there’s still going to be supervised review. So it’s not like it’s an open issue, but ICE officers should have the discretion to decide if a national security threat or a public safety threat in one of these facilities, then it should be an option then to make the arrest,” he added.
“[If] you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table because it’s not okay to violate laws in this country,” he stated. “That’s why I’m hoping those who are in the country illegally who have not been ordered removed by the federal judge should leave,” he continued.
During Trump’s previous administration, Homan’s stance on immigration was notably severe, as he justified the separation of thousands of children from their parents, claiming it was essential for “saving lives.”
