White House border czar Tom Homan said he is sure ICE officers have detained U.S. citizens but that they are not deported [1].
The statement addresses public concerns regarding the scope of immigration enforcement and whether American citizens are inadvertently caught in detention sweeps.
Speaking outside the White House in Washington, D.C., Homan said to reporters about the operational realities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement [1, 2]. He said that the agency's officers have likely detained individuals who hold U.S. citizenship during their duties [1, 3].
Despite these occurrences, Homan said that the legal status of these individuals prevents them from being removed from the country [1, 3]. He said, "I’m sure ICE officers have detained U.S. citizens, but we don’t deport them" [3].
Homan aimed to reassure the public that the agency distinguishes between non-citizens and citizens during the processing phase. He said that U.S. citizens have "nothing to fear" [1].
The border czar reiterated the agency's policy on citizenship, saying, "We don’t deport U.S. citizens" [3]. These remarks follow ongoing debates over the precision of federal immigration raids and the potential for civil rights violations during enforcement actions.
While Homan did not provide specific data on how many citizens have been detained, he said that the system ensures citizens are not deported [1, 3].
“"I’m sure ICE officers have detained U.S. citizens, but we don’t deport them."”
This admission confirms that U.S. citizens are occasionally swept up in ICE detentions, highlighting a gap between initial enforcement actions and final legal determinations. While the administration emphasizes that deportation does not occur for citizens, the fact of detention itself remains a point of contention for civil liberties advocates.
