Incoming Trump ‘Border Tsar’ Threatens Funding Cuts to ‘Sanctuary’ States

Tom Homan, designated as Donald Trump’s future “border tsar,” has pledged to reduce federal financial support for states that do not collaborate with the administration’s proposed large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants. Multiple states, including California, Illinois, New Mexico, and Arizona, have declared their intention to resist Trump’s initiatives, with legal confrontations almost assured. Trump has indicated his intention to deploy the U.S. military for these deportations, and Homan has “guaranteed” that federal funding could be utilized as leverage against uncooperative jurisdictions. The United States is home to at least 13 million undocumented immigrants. Speaking to Fox News, Homan, who previously served as the acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Trump’s initial presidential term, stated that the Biden administration had “turned this world upside down” concerning immigration policies and the US-Mexico border. Regarding the proposed reduction of federal funds for non-cooperating states, Homan asserted, “This is going to happen.” Throughout the United States, cities and states led by Democrats have expressed their intent to oppose the large-scale deportation initiatives. The city council of Los Angeles last week enacted a “sanctuary city” ordinance, which prohibits the use of local assets to assist federal immigration agencies. Governors in states including California, Arizona, and New Mexico – three of the four U.S. states bordering the US-Mexico frontier – have indicated they will not support mass deportations. Conversely, Texas authorities have stated their readiness to provide the president-elect and the incoming administration with a 1,400-acre (567) hectare land parcel for the “processing, detention and co-ordination of the largest violent criminals in the nation’s history.” During his discussion with Fox, Homan advised undocumented immigrants to “self-deport” to circumvent the extended legal repercussions of U.S. detention and deportation, which include potential re-entry bans for up to 20 years. He advised, “You should leave of your own will.” He elaborated, “Even if you have a US citizen child, you can’t petition for it [if deported]. You can’t come as a visitor, or you can’t come on a student visa.” Homan further stated, “It’s best for these people to leave on their own so they don’t get an order of deportation that’s going to bar them from a legal entry in the near future.” Furthermore, Homan noted that individuals facing deportation have the option to “leave the child here, or you can take them with you.” The discussion surrounding mass deportations emerges at a time when unauthorized crossings at the US-Mexico border are nearing historical lows under the Biden administration. According to preliminary data acquired by CBS, the BBC’s US partner, the US Border Patrol is projected to register under 50,000 migrant apprehensions at the US-Mexico border in November. Border detentions in September totaled approximately 54,000, significantly less than the peak of 302,000 recorded in December 2023. This figure would represent the lowest level since Joe Biden assumed office, and also since summer 2020, when Covid-19 pandemic restrictions caused a substantial drop in detentions. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in a statement to CBS, attributed this reduction to “newly-built capabilities to remove people more quickly,” the creation of new legal avenues, and “an unprecedented attack” against smuggling organizations. Mayorkas further commented that the Biden administration’s strategy both upholds the law and “adheres to our values.” Although fewer detentions at the US-Mexico border might enable the Trump administration to concentrate resources on the mass deportation initiative, the plan is still anticipated to encounter considerable logistical and financial challenges.