'Public safety threats, national security threats and fugitives' will be first deportees under Trump border czar's plan

President-elect Donald Trump’s new border czar Tom Homan is prioritizing deporting illegal immigrant criminals as well as national security threats as he is preparing for the incoming administration. Homan has already gone to the border to visit with Customs and Border Protection agents and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and is prepping for next steps.

Homan’s deportation strategy involves prioritizing those who pose the greatest risk to society, per the New York Post. “The priorities will focus on public safety threats, national security threats and fugitives,” those who “got due process at great taxpayer expense and the federal judge ordered them removed, but they didn’t leave, and they became a fugitive,” Homan said of the plan.

The border czar is focused on people who can be found on the federal Terrorist Watch List and “Special Interest Aliens” (SIAs) and those from countries of foreign concern (COFC). They are all at the top of the list. “We’ll work very closely with the FBI and intelligence community” to identify and find them, he said. “We know a record number of people on the terrorist watch list have crossed the border.” Homan has characterized the border crisis as a national security threat rivaled by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"The overarching theme,” Homan commented about the priorities, “is millions of people entered this country illegally, which is a crime.” Homan acknowledges that President Joe Biden gave illegal immigrants “a right to claim asylum” but says they’ve already had the “opportunity to see a judge. But we know, based on immigration court data, that nearly nine out of 10 of them will get an order for removal because they simply don’t qualify for asylum.”

“Mass deportation” should not be construed as “dirty words,” Homan added. “On the end of historic mass illegal immigration with nine out of 10 getting orders for removal, there has to be a mass deportation program. The only other option is to let them stay,” which he says he’s not prepared to do.

“It also sends a message to the entire world that you can enter this country illegally and you can go to court and lose your case and you’re still not going to go home,” he said. “We’ll never solve the southwest border crisis like that. So, you know what? You can’t demand due process and not accept the end result.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “himself has testified numerous times before Congress that for those who don’t qualify for asylum, they’d be removed. Well, guess what? It’s time to do the removal part.”

Homan has not been discouraged by the reluctance of some states, cities or police forces to assist the future Trump administration’s deportations. He has promised to “flood” US sanctuary cities with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to get the job done. Homan has also noted that the Trump administration is committed to destroying criminal cartels and has urged illegal immigrants to “self-deport."