CPAC 2026: Border Czar Tom Homan Puts the Hammer Down

Now this right here was a high point of the first day of CPAC 2026: Border Czar Tim Homan joined Mercedes Schlapp on the CPAC stage, and he came to the stage with some things to say, and he said 'em.

Here are some highlights.

First, on walking on the stage, Tom Homan got the biggest round of applause of the day so far. That spoke pretty eloquently as to how this crowd sees this performance.

Mr. Homan spoke about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moving into the airports, noting that the move isn't just a measure to shore up the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) but a matter of raising the security on the nation's airports due to world events.

On the topic of morale of the ICE, Mr. Homan promised that morale is high among the rank and file ICE agents, noting that they are finally being allowed to do their jobs, which they had not been allowed to do during the Biden administration. This, we should note, comes despite a great deal of rhetoric from Democrats we can only describe as hateful, even threatening.

Mr. Homan also took credit for the Trump administration's closure of the border, a task Democrats said was impossible.

Prepare for Dem Meltdown: Homan Details How Help Is on Way As ICE Deploys to Assist TSA at Airports

But the real meat of the Border Czar's comments came in the description of the 2.1 million people who came into the United States illegally during the Biden administration, brought in by smugglers; these are people, as Mr. Homan notes, who could have simply shown up at the border, turned themselves in and invoked "asylum" to be allowed in, with free food and transportation provided - and yet they paid thousands to smugglers to being them in.

That's a key point. What kind of illegal immigrant would do that? One that doesn't want to be caught at the border; there are many reasons for that, and none of them are good. Mr. Homan pointed that out, observing that too many of these people are now in the United States, unscreened, unvetted, and now we don't know where they are.

Mr. Homan also noted that 2 million illegal aliens have self-deported.

On the subject of prioritization of effort, Mr. Homan noted that 6 out of 10 of the illegal aliens that ICE has taken into custody have criminal records, but also qualified that remark by pointing out that the other 4 are still being apprehended and deported; that immigration law is being enforced regardless of the illegal alien's record or lack thereof.

Perhaps best of all, Mr. Homan counted coup on one big accomplishment: Finding 145,000 missing children, many of whom were forced into involuntary servitude, forced labor, and worse. He noted as well how the renewed enforcement is saving lives, not only of American citizens, but of the illegal immigrants themselves, by removing the incentive to attempt the crossing of miles of hostile country, scorching desert heat, insufficient water and food, which at times left the desert strewn with bodies.

Mr. Homan also points out, accurately, that ICE and Border Patrol are enforcing laws passed by Congress, in accordance with the Constitution, laws that were in place during the Clinton and Obama administrations. He lauded the job done by ICE and the Border Patrol in Minneapolis, despite the best efforts of Democrats.

In fact, that's one thing you see from Tom Homan in almost every speech, in every interview, in every comment; he does something that I was taught to do as an Army officer, something involved in leadership: He gives credit and takes blame. When he talks of success, he gives all the credit to the troops on the street.

When asked about the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, Mr. Homan said this:

Right time. Right guy. Right job.

Tom Homan is one of President Trump's best second-term staff picks. He came to the job with a mission, and he's getting it done, and that's for sure and for certain. He remains committed to that mission. On Thursday, we were reminded why.

You can watch CPAC 2026 proceedings live here.

Editor’s Note: ICE and CBP continue to put themselves in harm's way in order to protect America’s sovereignty and to keep our streets safe.

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