Tom Homan, President Trump’s former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director and current border czar, said he hasn’t seen any clear examples of excessive force displayed by ICE agents and officers.
His comment comes on the day an ICE officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.
In the months since Mr. Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants began, video has circulated of a mother being tackled by an ICE agent, while tear gas was used in a Chicago residential neighborhood and car windows have been smashed to grab drivers. There have also been videos showing federal agents use chokeholds on protesters.
“I have not seen ICE act out outside of policy,” Homan said in an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil. “If they are acting outside of policy, I’m not aware of it. There’ll be an investigation. They’ll be held accountable.”
After being shown video of Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis, Homan said he wouldn’t comment on it, citing the active investigation.
“I’m not going to make a judgment call on one video when there’s a hundred videos out there, I wasn’t on the scene. I’m not an officer that may have body cam video,” he said. “It would be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation. Let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation.”
Homan said that when he hears an allegation, he follows up and makes sure everything is investigated, though he acknowledged that he’s not aware of every ICE arrest.
Dokoupil pressed Homan, saying most Americans, having seen videos of ICE in action, would question Homan’s claims.
But Homan said he has faith in ICE agents to do the right thing.
“And if they don’t, they’ll be held accountable,” he said.
In a statement released Wednesday night, he said, “The incident in Minneapolis today is yet another tragic example of the results of the hateful rhetoric and violent attacks against the men and women of ICE and BP. These brave men and women are forced to conduct law enforcement operations in heightened threat environments every day. Like all Americans, our officers have a right to self defense.”
Under federal guidelines, use of force is authorized “only when no reasonably effective, safe, and feasible alternative appears to exist,” according to Department of Homeland Security policies.
Mr. Trump in November told 60 Minutes that ICE raids “haven’t gone far enough.” He said he was OK with the tactics because “you have to get the people out,” describing many of them as murderers and criminals, even though many of the people who have been arrested by ICE and deported don’t have a criminal record.
