During a recent White House briefing, Tom Homan, a former border czar, made strong claims about President Joe Biden’s approach to border security. Homan stated that Biden is the first president to intentionally leave the U.S. border unsecured. He contrasted this with the policies of former President Donald Trump, under whom, according to Homan, illegal crossings were at "historically low" levels.
Homan emphasized the importance of border security for national security, pointing out that previous presidents, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, took steps to strengthen border controls. He accused Biden of deliberately weakening these measures, suggesting that this was a strategy to gain political power by eventually granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Homan provided stark statistics to illustrate his point. He claimed that under Biden, illegal crossings have surged to between 11,000 and 15,000 per day, while only 178 people crossed illegally on a single day during Trump’s administration. He also noted a significant increase in "gotaways," individuals who evade capture by border authorities, reporting 1,800 under Biden compared to just 38 under Trump.
The former border czar also highlighted the number of illegal immigrants released into the U.S. under Biden’s policies, stating that from January 20 to April 1, 2024, about 184,000 individuals were released from federal custody. In contrast, he said the Trump administration had only released nine individuals, most for legal reasons or medical emergencies.
Homan pointed out that during Trump’s time in office, there were 139,000 deportations, with a focus on those charged with crimes. He mentioned that the Trump administration had taken a strong stance against illegal immigration, even displaying mugshots of deported individuals who had committed serious offenses like rape and murder on the White House lawn.
In another topic during the briefing, Homan addressed the recent arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan. She was charged with helping an illegal immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Homan stated that while one can support sanctuary cities, there are legal boundaries that should not be crossed, particularly in terms of harboring illegal immigrants from authorities.
Homan’s remarks reflect a broader debate on immigration policy in the United States, highlighting the stark differences between the Biden and Trump administrations’ approaches to border security and immigration enforcement.