His decision to replace U.S. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino with Tom Homan shows he is taking into account the protests over the killing of the 37-year-old paramedic, with footage taken at the scene contradicting the agency’s official version.
Tom Homan, however, who has been called the “border czar” and will oversee operations, reporting directly to the president, also has a profile as a hardline supporter of deportations and anti-immigration policy overall. He has even been described by President Trump himself in his post as “tough, but fair”.
Architect of the policy of separation of immigrant families
Tom Homan is a staunch supporter of the policy of mass deportation and is best known as the architect of the policy of separating immigrant families. In this practice, parents may be detained separately from the children, who are taken over by the immigration resettlement office. His rationale, as he has developed it in public discourse, is that separation from their children is traumatic for most parents and acts as a deterrent to immigration. This tactic was proposed during the Obama administration and was initially rejected, while it was adopted by the Trump administration, considered effective. Thousands of children have been separated from their parents since Trump signed an executive order ending the practice.
Supporter of conspiracy theories
Homan had begun his career as a police officer in New York, coming from a large Catholic family with his father and grandfather also being police officers. He soon joined the Border Patrol in California. He has been with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since its inception in 2003, overseeing the border between Texas and Mexico. In 2015, he was distinguished for his services during the Obama administration.
He headed it during Trump’s first term from January 2017 to June 2018, announcing a 38 percent increase in arrests. After 2018 he appeared frequently on Fox News as a commentator. It is characterized by relatively blunt speech with the use of verbal expressions bordering on indecency. He has at times espoused conspiracy theories, such as that of “great population replacement,” accusing the Biden administration of exploiting immigrants to build a vote pool. It also supports racist theories about Mexicans as belonging to a culture of human sacrifice and having a cult of death.
Participation in anti-immigrant organizations
It is characteristic of his ideological brand that he has participated in the initiative “Project 2025”, a plan drawn up by the think tank “The Heritage Foundation” in 2023, which describes what a conservative government should do when it takes power. The plan includes, among other things, anti-immigration policies such as mass arrests and deportations, funding a wall between the US and Mexico, immediate deportation of unaccompanied minors, freezing funding to NGOs and imposing additional costs on those seeking asylum.
He was also involved in the non-profit organization “Border 911” which, among other things, manages information on migrant profiles. In 2024, speaking at the Republican National Convention, he had come out against the “suicidal policy” of the Biden administration and, addressing “millions of immigrants” had urged them to pack their bags to leave the US in view of Trump’s election.
Allegations of bribery
In September 2024, he faced FBI investigations. He was allegedly filmed receiving a bag of $50,000 in bribes from FBI agents posing as businessmen. The investigation involved allegations that Homan accepted sums of money from security firms, promising government contracts after Trump’s election. In September 2025, under the Trump administration, the case was closed as insufficient evidence. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt acknowledged the existence of the meeting, but maintained that Homan ultimately did not receive the money, while Homan himself more succinctly stated that he did not take any criminal action.
“Tsar of the Border”
Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, Homan has emerged as the “border czar” with a dominant role in the “zero tolerance” policy. He called his policy “the worst first,” meaning that criminals and those deemed threats to national security would be deported first, followed by the rest. He enjoys the trust of Donald Trump, as can be seen from his placement as head of operations in Minnesota with the ability to directly address the US president.
