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From Obama award to Minnesota op: Why Trump tapped Tom Homan for on-the-ground crackdown
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Minneapolis is the Trump administration’s latest immigration flashpoint — and a familiar figure is on the ground, taking command of the federal operation after two fatal shootings and days of agitators sparking heightened protests in the Twin Cities.
Border Czar Tom Homan, a career law enforcement official with more than four decades in immigration enforcement, has worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations — including formal recognition during the Obama era. Allies say that résumé undercuts any claims he’s a partisan operator and makes him an ideal choice to take the lead in Minneapolis.
«Tom Homan is a decorated career law enforcement professional whose service has spanned multiple presidential administrations, both Republican and Democratic. He is a no-nonsense American patriot who is dedicated to making his country better. So I have every bit of confidence that Tom is the right person for the job,» America First Legal president Gene Hamilton said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
«People know exactly who they are dealing with when they deal with Tom Homan. He’s a known entity,» Hamilton continued.
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White House border czar Tom Homan deployed to Minnesota on Jan. 26, 2026, to run point on the immigration crackdown in the state. (Jim Watson/Getty Images)
Hamilton worked on immigration policy during Trump’s first term and alongside Homan, and he told Fox News Digital that Homan is the right fit to oversee the Minnesota operation because of his law-and-order approach and record across administrations. Hamilton is now president of America First Legal, after previously working as Trump’s deputy White House counsel during the first half of 2025.
Homan was deployed to the Gopher State on Monday, effectively replacing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, and is reporting directly to President Donald Trump as he takes the helm of the administration’s immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. His leadership over the operation follows a pair of high-profile shootings involving federal law enforcement that left two Americans dead, and Democrats calling the deaths «murder» while pointing to ICE as a modern-day «Gestapo.»
«Tom Homan is a patriot with decades of experience effectively protecting American communities and deporting criminal illegal aliens,» White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said when asked about Homan taking the helm of the mission.
WHY TRUMP SENDING TOM HOMAN TO MINNESOTA IS A STROKE OF ABSOLUTE GENIUS
A White House official told Fox News Digital amid the Minnesota leadership shakeup that the administration «has not wavered» from its mission to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, with one official saying that Trump wanted to prevent further violence and work with state and local leaders to remove public safety threats.
Democrats have slammed the broader ICE crackdown as heavy-handed, calling for investigations and tighter restrictions on enforcement tactics after agitators Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by law enforcement this month. Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has echoed that criticism, calling what’s unfolding in Minnesota «appalling» and pressing for new oversight and guardrails on ICE’s conduct as the Trump administration insists the mission remains unchanged and focused on law and order.
«The Trump Administration will never waver in standing up for law and order and protecting the American people,» Jackson added in her comment on Homan.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, left, and White House border czar Tom Homan speak with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Homan launched his federal law enforcement career in 1984 as a Border Patrol agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was abolished after 9/11 and replaced with the Department of Homeland Security. His rise through the ranks of federal law enforcement included former President Barack Obama tapping him to lead ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in 2013.
Hamilton continued that Homan is not a partisan actor, but focused on delivering lawful deportation results – as he’s done for a Democrat administration.
«Tom Homan’s mission is not partisan. It’s not political,» Hamilton continued in his comments on Homan. «The only people who are making it political are the officials in Minnesota who have turned this into a rallying cry for agitators, who are more committed to rioting and impeding federal law enforcement in the streets of Minneapolis than, quite frankly, anything we’ve seen In recent history.»
Chad Wolf, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during President Trump’s first term, authored an op-ed for Fox News Digital that described Trump tapping Homan to oversee the operation as a «stroke of absolute genius.»
«Homan is not a political firebrand looking for headlines. He is a career law enforcement professional, with over 30 years of experience at ICE and U.S. Border Patrol, who understands the operational realities of immigration enforcement,» Wolf wrote. «Sending him to Minnesota is not about provocation; it is about restoring coherence to a situation that has grown dangerously fragmented.»
DHS data show deportations surged under Obama, including a record 438,421 removals in fiscal year 2013, fueling a «deporter in chief» label activists used to describe the 44th president.
In 2016, Obama awarded Homan the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service, an honor recognizing leaders who produce «sustained extraordinary results.»
President Barack Obama speaks about immigration reform during a meeting with young immigrants, known as DREAMers, in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 4, 2015. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
«Thomas Homan deports people. And he’s really good at it,» the Washington Post wrote in an article at the time reporting on the award.
«Homan is the Washington bureaucrat in charge of rounding up, detaining and kicking illegal immigrants out of the country,» the article continued. «As Americans fight over whether the next president should build a wall on the Mexico border to keep migrants out or protect millions of them from deportation, Homan is actually hunting undocumented immigrants down right now, setting strategy for 8,000 officers on the front lines.»
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Fast-forward to that campaign cycle electing Trump to his first term, Homan was again tapped to help tackle immigration for the Republican president’s administration, serving as the acting director in 2017 and 2018.
Then-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations Tom Homan testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in 2014. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Now, the border czar is vowing he won’t leave the Twin Cities «until the problem is gone.»
Homan publicly suggested that ICE could pull back from direct action in the community if local leaders allow federal agents access to jails to take custody of removable immigrants in a controlled setting, a proposal that effectively turns Minnesota into a test case for whether sanctuary-style resistance can be traded for cooperation on detainers.
He met with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after arriving to the state, calling the interactions «productive» as he looks to pull back the number of federal agents on the streets to focus on deporting illegal aliens detained in jails.
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«More agents in the jail means less agents in the street,» Homan said Thursday. «This is common-sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it: draw down the number of people here because we have the efficiency, the safety of the jails and the prisons.»
tom homan,minnesota,immigration,politics
INTERNACIONAL
Crece la tensión entre España y EE.UU.: la tajante respuesta de Pedro Sánchez ante la amenaza de Trump de cortar las relaciones comerciales
El presidente del Gobierno español, Pedro Sánchez, eligió un mensaje contundente para enfrentar la presión de Donald Trump: “No a la guerra”.
Así, el mandatario español se plantó ante el enojo del expresidente estadounidense, que reclamó el uso de las bases militares de Rota y Morón para lanzar ataques contra Irán y recibió una negativa rotunda desde Madrid.
Leé también: Guerra de Medio Oriente: dos bandos y 13 países involucrados en un conflicto que jaquea al mundo
El miércoles, Sánchez habló desde el palacio de la Moncloa y dejó clara la postura de su gobierno: “La posición del Gobierno de España se resume en cuatro palabras: no a la guerra”.
La declaración llegó después de que Trump acusara a España de comportarse “de manera terrible” en medio de la crisis con Irán.
Desde la Casa Blanca, la respuesta de Trump no tardó en llegar. El exmandatario calificó a España como un “aliado terrible” y amenazó con suspender el comercio bilateral, tildando la decisión española de “hostil”. La respuesta de Pedro Sánchez a Dfonald Trump: «No a la guerra». (Foto:REUTERS/Yves Herman).
“No vamos a ser cómplices de algo que es malo para el mundo y que también es contrario a nuestros valores e intereses, simplemente por el miedo a las represalias de alguno”, retrucó Sánchez, endureciendo el tono frente a Washington.
Sin mencionar a Trump, Sánchez acusó a “los dirigentes que son incapaces” de “mejorar la vida de la gente” de usar el “humo de la guerra para ocultar su fracaso y llenar de paso los bolsillos de unos pocos”.
Un nuevo capítulo en la relación Sánchez-Trump
El enfrentamiento entre Sánchez y Trump no es nuevo. Ya hubo roces por la negativa española a elevar el gasto en defensa al 5% del PBI, como exigía el magnate estadounidense a los socios de la OTAN, y por las diferencias sobre la ofensiva israelí en Gaza.
En este contexto, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Israel aprovechó el respaldo de Irán a la postura española para lanzar una crítica en redes sociales: “¿Eso es estar en el ‘lado correcto’ de la historia?”, escribió en X.
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, acusó a España de comportarse como un «aliado terrible» y amenazó con suspender el comercio entre ambos países. (Foto: AP/Mark Schiefelbein).
El fantasma de Irak y la política interna española
La postura de Sánchez conecta con su electorado de izquierda, a menos de un año de las elecciones generales y en medio de escándalos de corrupción que golpean a su entorno.
El “No a la guerra” revive el lema de las masivas protestas en España contra la invasión de Irak en 2003, cuando el entonces presidente José María Aznar (PP) se alineó con Estados Unidos.
Muchos españoles vincularon esa decisión con los atentados de marzo de 2004, que dejaron 192 muertos y precipitaron la llegada de los socialistas al poder.
Leé también: Irán: el hijo del ayatollah asesinado Alí Jamenei fue elegido como el nuevo líder supremo
Según dijo Sánchez, lejos de conseguir sus propósitos, la guerra de Irak “desencadenó la mayor oleada de inseguridad que ha sufrido nuestro continente desde la caída del muro de Berlín”.
“La guerra de Irak generó un aumento drástico del terrorismo yihadista, una grave crisis migratoria en el Mediterráneo oriental y un incremento generalizado de precios de la energía”, evocó.
Desde la oposición, el líder del Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, pidió “respeto” a Trump, pero acusó a Sánchez de usar la política exterior para “intereses partidarios”.
En tanto, el diario El País advirtió en su editorial que Sánchez debería “evitar la tentación de enrocarse y de utilizar la amplísima animadversión que existe hacia Trump en la sociedad española para ganar popularidad”.
Europa, dividida y bajo presión
La reacción europea ante la crisis mostró fisuras. El primer ministro alemán, Friedrich Merz, aseguró desde la Casa Blanca que intentaban “convencer” a Madrid de aumentar el gasto militar, algo que generó “sorpresa” en el gobierno español, según el canciller José Manuel Albares.
Sin embargo, la Comisión Europea salió a respaldar a España frente a las amenazas de Trump. “Nos solidarizamos totalmente con todos los Estados miembros y todos sus ciudadanos y, a través de nuestra política comercial común, estamos preparados para actuar si es necesario para salvaguardar los intereses de la UE”, advirtió el portavoz Olof Gill.
Leé también: Crece la tensión por la guerra: Irán lanzó un misil hacia Turquía, pero fue interceptado por el sistema de defensa de la OTAN
Mientras tanto, Alemania, Francia y Reino Unido mantuvieron cautela sobre la operación militar estadounidense-israelí en Irán.
Francia y Reino Unido defendieron a Chipre, amenazada por la extensión del conflicto, pero eso no frenó las críticas de Trump al primer ministro británico, Keir Starmer, a quien acusó de “no ser Churchill”.
“El accionar de la UE ante los ataques a Irán no ha sido muy coherente”, analizó Ángel Saz Carranza, director del centro EsadeGeo. Y agregó: “No parece imposible que Estados Unidos haya pedido alineación europea a cambio de seguir apoyando con Ucrania”.
Donald Trump, Pedro Sánchez, España, Estados Unidos, Irán, Medio Oriente
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Israel’s military said Wednesday that one of its F-35I «Adir» stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130, marking the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat.
«The historic shootdown over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination,» said Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli air force.
«The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest,» he told the pilots. «The next mission is already waiting for you.»
The F-35I is Israel’s customized version of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that anchors the country’s air fleet.
An Israeli air force F-35I Adir multirole fighter aircraft flies over the Negev Desert after taking off from a military base en route to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 14, 2023. (Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the F-35 program’s official website, Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process, signing a letter of agreement in October 2010.
The site says the Israeli air force gave the jet the Hebrew name «Adir,» meaning «Mighty One,» and received its first F-35 on June 22, 2016.
The Yak-130 is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, according to United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace company that manufactures the jet.
TRUMP ADMIN WARNED LAWMAKERS ISRAEL WAS ‘DETERMINED TO ACT WITH OR WITHOUT US’ BEFORE MASSIVE IRAN STRIKES
A Russian-made Yak-130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft maneuvers during a flying display on the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire, England, on July 11, 2012. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
It made its maiden flight in 1996 and is currently in active production.
Iran’s air force received its first Yak-130 training aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.
IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: ‘ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY’
F-4 and F-14 jets from Iran and Russian MiG-29 aircraft perform a demonstration flight at the 9th International Iran AirShow on Kish Island, Hormozgan, Iran, on Nov. 27, 2018. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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In November 2023, Brig. Gen. Mahdi Farahi, Iran’s deputy defense minister, told Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, that plans had been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.
Tasnim reported that Iran previously acquired MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia in the 1990s.
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Gun rights expert says Minnesota Dems tried to block her testimony on firearm bills to ‘avoid’ policy debate
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A Second Amendment expert is accusing Minnesota Democrats of attempting to sideline policy advocates as they push for passage of a pair of gun control bills, arguing the lawmakers are leaning on emotional appeals instead of debating the measures’ real-world impact.
Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom who specializes in gun policy, told Fox News Digital in an interview that Democratic members of a Minnesota House panel appeared to arbitrarily reject her written testimony ahead of a key hearing on the bills and resisted allowing her to testify in person. Swearer was ultimately able to testify for about two minutes.
«I think really at the core of it, that’s what they wanted to avoid, to the extent that they could keep this focused on the Annunciation shooting, and to prevent people like myself from coming in and saying, well, first of all, these policies would not have prevented a single death,» Swearer said.
Displays of rifles at the gun show held Sunday at the Stillwater armory. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Democratic offices of the committee did not respond to multiple requests for comments since Friday.
The hearing included heavy moments during which parents of victims and victims themselves of last year’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis testified in support of the bills. The shooter, who later died by suicide, killed two young children and injured more than two dozen others.
«Parents in our community don’t sleep all the way through the night anymore,» Jackie Flavin, who lost her 10-year-old daughter Harper in the shooting, testified. «Because when we send our children out into the world, we know that there are weapons out there capable of turning an ordinary morning into something unthinkable in seconds.»
In reaction to the mass shooting in Minneapolis at Annunciation Church, students rally at the capitol demanding state and federal lawmakers pass bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The two bills, as they are currently written, are stalled in committee after receiving a 10-10 tie vote along party lines at the close of the contentious hearing.
Swearer said the committee rejected her written testimony, which included an analysis of multi-victim shootings in the state, because it contained hyperlinks, which was against committee rules. She accused Democrats on the committee of selectively enforcing that rule against her but not against others.
«I want to be clear, that was very emotional. It was difficult. These were grieving people, and understandably so, but that I think very clearly is what the Democrats wanted to focus on, the emotion of it,» Swearer said. «They did not want this to turn into a battle of actual experts on policy.»
The bills were part of a sweeping gun control package introduced by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in response to the church shooting.
One of the bills would broadly ban future sales of many «semiautomatic military-style assault weapons» by redefining the firearms under state law and would impose new restrictions on current owners of such guns. The other would prohibit the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, which the bill defines as those with more than ten rounds.
Swearer, who was invited to the hearing by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said the bills were unconstitutional.
NRA SUES CALIFORNIA OVER BAN ON GLOCK-STYLE FIREARMS: ‘VIOLATES THE SECOND AMENDMENT’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center Oct. 1, 2024, in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«They’re problematic from start to finish,» she said, adding that the first bill was «one of the most restrictive gun bans I have ever seen in terms of the definition.»
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The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus’s director of governor relations, Anna Leamy, also testified against the bills during the hearing and noted that Swearer and other «national experts and everyday Minnesotans» were limited from participating, which Swearer said «goaded» Democrats into allowing her to speak for two minutes.
The National Foundation for Gun Rights said its executive director, Hannah Hill, was also told she could not testify. Committee chairs typically limit witness participation at hearings for time purposes, but those restrictions can spur accusations of selectively suppressing certain voices.
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second amendment,minnesota
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