Teyah Parent, features editor
On Jan. 20, the Trump administration announced a change in leadership. The administration replaced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commander Gregory Bovino with former immigration official Tom Homan. President Donald Trump assigned Homan, whom Trump refers to as the “Border Czar,” to take over as the leader of both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP in Minnesota. This shift comes after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, which have brought harsh criticisms on both the Trump administration and Gregory Bovino.
This shift comes after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, which have brought harsh criticisms on both the Trump administration and Gregory Bovino.
Teyah Parent
According to NPR news, Operation Metro Surge allowed Gregory Bovino to deploy thousands of ICE agents into the Twin Cities area, a staggering difference from the average 80 agents. Bovino’s tactics were widely considered aggressive. Federal ICE agents under his directive conducted sweeps, home raids, and confrontations that drew heavy backlash from local authorities and residents of the Twin Cities. Amid high pressure from elected officials and community leaders, the Trump Administration selected Tom Homan to continue ICE operations in Operation Metro Surge.
As explained in official ICE records, Tom Homan is a veteran immigration official with a large track record in both the Obama administration and Trump’s first administration. Homan began as a police officer before joining Border Patrol in 1984. By 2013, he came into national prominence when he was appointed as the Head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) during the Obama Administration. He was responsible for removing non-citizens who had criminal orders for removal. He received the 2015 Presidential Rank Award for his role.
In Jan. 2017, during Trump’s first presidency, Homan was appointed as the acting director of ICE and one of the most prominent voices advocating for strict immigration enforcement. In statements and records, Homan supported a zero-tolerance approach that included prosecuting parents and separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border; he was a hard-headed advocate for the family separation policy as a deterrent for illegal border crossings. When he left ICE in 2018, he worked as a media commentator and conservative policy influencer.
While Homan comes from the same strict and broad immigration enforcement ideology as Bovino, Homan’s approach differs, according to Homan’s official statements. Homan acknowledges that previous ICE operations were not perfect and stresses that immigration enforcement needs to be more efficient, and future ICE operations in the Twin Cities will prioritize the arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants with existing criminal records and those labeled as public safety risks. Homan has also stated that federal enforcement will continue, even if slightly scaled back, and that the administration remains strongly committed to removing any individuals it deems threats. Bovino’s tenure was classified by controversial operations, while Homan brings decades of immigration enforcement leadership to the role. Homan has a history of advocating for strict immigration policies, and how this leadership change will affect the Twin Cities area will shape future ICE operations that remain under national scrutiny.
On Jan. 20, the Trump administration announced a change in leadership. The administration replaced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commander Gregory Bovino with former immigration official Tom Homan. President Donald Trump assigned Homan, whom Trump refers to as the “Border Czar,” to take over as the leader of both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP in Minnesota. This shift comes after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti which have brought harsh criticisms on both the Trump administration and Bovino.
According to NPR news, Operation Metro Surge allowed Bovino to deploy thousands of ICE agents into the Twin Cities area, a staggering difference from the average 80 agents. Bovino’s tactics were widely considered aggressive. Federal ICE agents under his directive conducted sweeps, home raids, and confrontations that drew heavy backlash from local authorities and residents of the Twin Cities. Amid high pressure from elected officials and community leaders, the Trump Administration selected Homan to continue ICE operations in Operation Metro Surge.
As explained in official ICE records, Homan is a veteran immigration official with a large track record in both the Obama administration and Trump’s first administration. Homan began as a police officer before joining Border Patrol in 1984. By 2013, he came into national prominence when he was appointed as the Head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) during the Obama Administration. He was responsible for removing non-citizens who had criminal orders for removal. He received the 2015 Presidential Rank Award for his role.
In Jan. 2017, during Trump’s first presidency, Homan was appointed as the acting director of ICE and one of the most prominent voices advocating for strict immigration enforcement. In statements and records, Homan supported a zero-tolerance approach that included prosecuting parents and separating families at the U.S-Mexico border; he was a hard-headed advocate for the family separation policy as a deterrent for illegal border crossings. When he left ICE in 2018, he worked as a media commentator and conservative policy influencer.
While Homan comes from the same strict and broad immigration enforcement ideology as Bovino, Homan’s approach differs, according to Homan’s official statements. Homan acknowledges that previous ICE operations were not perfect and stresses that immigration enforcement needs to be more efficient, and future ICE operations in the Twin Cities will prioritize the arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants with existing criminal records, and those labeled as public safety risks. Homan has also stated that federal enforcement will continue, even if slightly scaled back, and that the administration remains strongly committed to removing any individuals it deems threats. Bovino’s tenure was classified by controversial operations, while Homan brings decades of immigration enforcement leadership to the role. Homan has a history of advocating for strict immigration policies, and how this leadership change will affect the Twin Cities area will shape future ICE operations that remain under national scrutiny.