Since President Donald Trump officially took office on Monday, January 20, immigration enforcement has ramped up dramatically across the U.S. In just a few days, over 2,600 people have already been arrested in large-scale immigration raids, with nearly 1,000 arrests occurring on Sunday alone.
Tom Homan, who previously served as the Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2017 to 2018, is now leading Trump’s immigration efforts as his official “Border Czar.” Speaking to ABC’s Martha Raddatz, Homan explained that deportations are being prioritized, with authorities first targeting individuals deemed threats to public safety and national security. However, he made it clear that these efforts would only expand, stating, “As that aperture opens, there will be more arrests nationwide.”
A major shift in policy has also made it easier for ICE to conduct arrests in places that were previously considered “off-limits.” Schools and churches, once designated as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement was restricted, are no longer safe havens. Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order reversing the old policy, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) releasing a statement declaring that criminals would no longer be able to use these institutions as hiding places. Homan pointed out that gang members—particularly those from MS-13—are often between the ages of 14 and 17, making high schools a key focus for enforcement efforts.
Although ICE’s primary focus is on deporting individuals with criminal backgrounds, Homan acknowledged that “collateral arrests” will also take place. This means that even if someone isn’t the main target of a raid, they could still be detained if found to be undocumented. Homan reinforced that no one in the country illegally is exempt, stating, “It’s not okay to violate the laws of this country.”
Trump officially appointed Homan as his Border Czar on November 11, 2024, announcing the decision on his social media platform, Truth Social. He praised Homan as the best person for the job, saying there’s “nobody better at policing and controlling” the borders. However, Homan’s strong stance on law and order carries an ironic weight, given Trump’s own legal troubles.
Trump is the only U.S. president to have been convicted of a felony. His legal issues include 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006—an allegation he denies. Despite his conviction in 2024, Trump remained eligible to run for office. After the guilty verdict, he dismissed the case as politically motivated, calling it a “rigged trial” and insisting that the real verdict would come from voters in the November election.
Beyond his criminal conviction, Trump was also impeached twice during his first term. The first impeachment, in 2019, stemmed from allegations that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The second impeachment, in 2021, was for inciting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In both cases, the Senate acquitted him. Now, as he serves his second term in office, Trump still faces multiple lawsuits, and while his presidency may influence these legal battles, it remains to be seen how they will unfold.