White House border czar Tom Homan has firmly dismissed claims made by Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon, accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of racially profiling Black Americans. During an appearance on ‘Saturday in America,’ Homan labeled Nixon’s accusations as ‘ridiculous,’ asserting that ICE agents do not discriminate based on race.
Homan stated, ‘We don’t arrest people based on the color of their skin. I’m actually an equal opportunity deporter. I deported people to 180 countries last year.’ He further emphasized the agency’s stance, saying, ‘I don’t care if you’re from Asia, you’re from Europe, or you’re from other countries. If you’re in the country illegally, you will be deported, regardless of the color of your skin.’
Angie Nixon, a recent winner in Florida’s Democratic primary, has prioritized the abolition of detention centers and ICE, branding mass incarceration and deportation as ‘moral failures.’ Her campaign argues ICE’s authority is unreliable and calls for dismantling what she describes as the agency’s ‘terror tactics.’
Homan responded to these claims, stating, ‘It’s just lie, after lie, after lie, to try to vilify the men and women of ICE.’ Nixon, conversing on the ‘QNA: Questions Need Answers’ podcast, alleged Republicans are ‘literally trying to kill us,’ specifically targeting ICE for criticism.
Homan highlighted the legal framework within which ICE operates. ‘We don’t racially profile,’ he clarified. ‘We have reasonable suspicion of aliens to talk to them and to arrest them we need probable cause. That’s what the law says, and that’s what we do.’
Homan attributed violent incidents during enforcement to sanctuary policies, which he believes exacerbate risk. He cited the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an attempted arrest in Houston. Sanctuary policies, Homan asserted, heighten community and officer risks by necessitating street arrests.
‘What sanctuary cities do is not only give sanctuaries to criminals, it makes the community less safe,’ Homan added, ‘because they’re releasing public safety threats back into the public. It puts our officers at greater risk. It puts the alien at greater risk because anything can happen during a street arrest.’
The Department of Homeland Security also rebuffed Nixon’s accusations, labeling them ‘disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE,’ and affirmed that immigration status, not race, determines enforcement targeting.