Border Czar Tom Homan acknowledged that the Donald Trump administration lacks the budget to carry out the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and admitted that the success of their immigration plans will depend on quickly obtaining funding from Congress. Homan made it clear that, although criminal immigrants are the priority, no undocumented person should feel safe, as every public safety threat removed from the country is a success.
The federal government has about 40,000 immigration detention beds, while the undocumented population is estimated to be at least 11 million. However, the Trump administration seeks to focus on about 400,000 undocumented individuals with criminal records and another million with pending deportation orders. To achieve this, Homan indicated the need for at least 100,000 detention beds but assured that the more money they have, the more they can accomplish.
Immigrant advocacy organizations have begun to pressure Democratic and Republican lawmakers to oppose the approval of an emergency budget for mass deportations. However, the White House has not yet made a formal request to Congress, where Republicans have a majority in both chambers.
Homan is in Chicago overseeing ICE immigration detention operations and explained that the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops from the United States Army to the Mexico border is a force multiplier that sends a message that the borders are closed and that every threat to national security is being eliminated. According to Homan, the efficiency in implementing immigration plans will depend on how quickly the required funding is obtained from Congress.
