President-elect Donald Trump announced that Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would serve as his administration’s “border czar.”
Known for his strict approach to immigration enforcement, Homan was a prominent figure in Trump’s first term and one of the Biden administration’s harshest immigration critics. He appeared regularly on Fox News programs to espouse Trump’s immigration policies while Trump served his first term and then while Biden was President.
Trump’s announcement emphasized Homan’s expertise in border control and assigned him to oversee deportation efforts.
“I am pleased to announce that the Former ICE Director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation’s Borders (‘The Border Czar’), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job,” Trump added.
Although the role of “border czar” is informal, Homan is expected to function as a senior adviser coordinating immigration policy across federal agencies.
This position is akin to the one Vice President Kamala Harris held under Biden, where she was tasked with addressing migration from Central America, though she largely avoided the “czar” title.
Homan previously led ICE on an acting basis during Trump’s first term, but he faced Senate resistance and was not formally confirmed to the position.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Homan as an informal border czar for Texas in 2023.