ICE official can’t be silenced by The Squad
One thing that the freshman class of far-left liberal House congresswomen — aka the “The Squad” — should know by now is that you can’t intimidate a veteran law enforcement official who’s been serving this nation longer than some of them have been alive.
Having been a beat cop, a border patrol officer and the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his 34 years of government service, there’s not a lot that can rattle a guy like Tom Homan.
That was on full display when zealot congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib tried to disrespect and muzzle Homan during the recent House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties hearing on the Trump administration’s decision to begin denying medical deferral requests from undocumented immigrants.
Homan, who served in the Obama administration and then as Trump’s acting director of ICE from Jan. 30, 2017, until June of 2018, expected a confrontation. Being a vocal supporter of the president’s immigration policies at the southern border immediately puts him at odds with those on the left, including liberal media sources who seem to oppose anything coming from the West Wing of the White House.
He once said that if your feelings are easily hurt, a job in the Trump administration is not for you.
Homan has been a vocal critic of the Democrats’ opposition to a border barrier while supporting legislation that decriminalizes illegal entry. They also favor free medical care to illegal immigrants, abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency while pushing for more sanctuary city policies. Homan has also criticized Democratic policies that rewards those who break our immigration laws with a pathway to citizenship, make driver’s licenses available to illegal immigrants and for not allowing ICE to enforce the law.
Homan explained that there were few complaints when border barriers were built under the past four presidents — two Republicans and two Democrats — or that both Democratic and Republican members of Congress agreed to fund the barriers under these four presidents.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, highly partisan Florida Democratic congresswoman, wasted no time blasting Homan.
“I think it’s important to really make sure that the jingoistic, bigoted testimony of Mr. Homan is called out as nearly completely untrue, as being an outrage, and as a former official directing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, he should know better,” said Wasserman Schultz.
“What did I say was inaccurate?” Homan shot back.
Rep. Tlaib of Michigan, another Democratic critic and a Squad member, told Homan that his contribution as acting ICE chief “will always be remembered as one that was very ruthless and inhumane.”
“Can I respond to that?” Homan asked.
“No, we’re moving on,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, who banged her gavel, refusing him time to reply.
Homan, however, got in his own shots when Republican members of the committee allowed him to speak. He said that in his 34 years, he never saw such hate toward law enforcement agency and was shocked that the Democratic Congress wanted to abolish ICE.
In the past year alone he said ICE agents have taken enough opioids off the streets that could have killed every man, woman and child in this country twice; and have arrested thousands of sexual predators and rescued thousands of children who are victims of predators. Homan said that nearly 90 percent of everybody ICE takes in for immigration violations either have a criminal history or pending criminal charges when they are found.
Afterward, Homan termed the hearing a joke and a circus run by opposition Democrats. He said that hearings are supposed to be about Congress asking questions to come to some common sense on an issue about what’s going on, but in this case the Democrats just wanted to “spend five minutes insulting” him and not letting him respond.
He also stated that he knew more about the border issue than any of the liberal Democrats, but they didn’t want to hear it.
A day after being called a “bigot” and “inhumane” by the House leftists in that hearing, Homan used a Jack Nicholson line from the 1992 film classic “A Few Good Men” to frame his frustration with the Washington liberal establishment. They “can’t handle the truth” he said in defining the liberal congresswomen who favor opening the borders while closing down ICE, the ones who enforce our laws.
By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com
Comments
Why would anyone with support these fringe Democrats?
Are you serious with the "nobody calling them out" statement? Trump has made them the centerpiece of his attack campaigns and negativity about them is all over social media. Where have you been???
Not to mention you are commenting on a column “calling out” the squad! That’s special
So just minutes ago you talk freedom to think, and here you call a man worthless because he has a different view than you do.
You are all over the place sir.
You don't seem anchored on some major important issues. You claim to be a libertarian, but you not only back, but you defend the government education system. You speak of freedoms in one breath, and deny others that same freedom in your next breath. Just an observation "Joe".
As a libertarian you have to accept some things as the will of the people. It is the will of the people that we have a public school system funded by tax payors. I could come up with an alternative but it would be pie in the sky. We have a system that isn't ideal but I oppose making it worse.
I don't advocate taking people's freedoms. I have been steadfast in saying the gun issue can be solved by free markets if we allow it. Since we have laws shielding gun producers and retailers from the consequences of their actions we will never see self restraint. Since the government stepped in and made our gun industry socialistic that only leaves us with socialistic options to combat.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,”
That was the beginning of his handling the GRU, just wait and see. He smokes people out, didn't you learn that yet? Bill O'Reily has a new book out about Trump. Read that book, learn something.