Homan calls those who say Trump is softening his immigration policy 'keyboard warriors': 'Mass deportations are coming'

Tom Homan showed no patience for MAGA critics. The White House border czar appeared Tuesday at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix before a room full of Department of Homeland Security officials and assured that the Trump administration is not softening its border policy despite some questioning within the party.

"For the people out there saying 'President Trump's getting weak on mass deportation,' you don't know what the hell you're talking about," Homan said, calling those detractors "keyboard warriors." 

"You ain't seen shit yet. This year will be a good year. Mass deportations are coming," he added.

The comments come at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to refocus its immigration message. Under former Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS staged near-daily controversies with very public operations in cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Los Angeles that generated massive protests and ended with two U.S. citizens killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis.

After the second case—that of nurse Alex Pretti—Trump deployed Homan to the city to lower the temperature.

Homan acknowledged that 35% to 40% of illegal immigrants arrested during Trump's second term have no criminal record but defended that reality as necessary.

"I don't care how long you've been here, if you're here illegally, entered this country illegally, you cheated. You cheated the system," he said.

He also promised direct retaliation against states that pass laws limiting cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.

"We're going to flood the zone. You're going to see more ICE agents than] you ever saw before," he warned. And he added that in those jurisdictions, collateral arrests—people who are not the target of an operation but are present when it occurs - will also increase. "You will see collateral arrests increase in these areas. You see more agents in your neighborhoods because you forced us into this position."

The Democratic governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, responded to Homan's comments Tuesday, saying, "All I'll say to Mr. Homan is that Donald Trump himself said he would not send a surge of ICE agents to the state of New York unless I ask. I'm not asking."

Homan, for his part, made it clear that he has no intention of bowing to any pressure. "I simply don't care what people think about me. I never have and never will."