Washington, September 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
White House border czar Thomas Douglas Homan has vowed to intensify immigration arrests and deportations across the US, including in New York, while defending the removal of people who have no criminal record but are living in the country illegally.
Homan said federal immigration authorities had completed the first phase of an enforcement operation in New York and Long Island, resulting in 2,200 arrests.
“And it’s not over,” Homan told reporters at the White House, adding that further arrests would take place in New York.
He said immigration enforcement remained a key priority for the Trump administration ahead of the midterm elections and argued that President Donald Trump had been elected in part on his promise to carry out mass deportations.
Homan also highlighted what he described as record-breaking arrest figures by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying the agency set new records in June, July and August.
He said the administration had achieved the figures despite legal challenges to its immigration policies, claiming that more than 100 nationwide injunctions had been filed and more than 85,000 habeas cases were pending.
Asked about enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals, Homan said no one had been arrested at such locations but maintained that authorities could act when pursuing people deemed significant public safety or national security threats.
“If you’re a significant public safety threat, national security threat, there is no sanctuary,” he said.
Homan was also questioned about the reported arrest of a father near a school bus stop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He said he was unfamiliar with the case and had asked ICE to examine it.
Asked whether a person who had lived in the US for 20 years, had a teenage daughter and no criminal record would be considered a threat, Homan said such a person would not be a national security or public safety threat without relevant intelligence or a criminal history. However, he said such a person could still be deported if found to be removable under immigration law.
Homan also said ICE was deploying body cameras for its agents, although he could not confirm whether every agent had received one. He attributed delays partly to funding disruptions caused by a government shutdown.
On Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Homan said decisions on extending the protection rested with the Homeland Security Secretary. He nevertheless expressed support for ending TPS protections when conditions in designated countries improve.
TPS, established by Congress in 1990, allows eligible nationals of designated countries to temporarily remain and work in the US when armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions make safe return difficult.
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