President Trump’s border enforcer-in-chief isn’t blinking.
Border czar Tom Homan made it crystal clear Tuesday night that hunger strikes inside ICE detention centers won’t pressure the administration into loosening immigration enforcement — and if detainees push themselves too far, the government is prepared to intervene.
“If it gets bad enough,” Homan warned during an appearance on The Ingraham Angle, “we’ll force-feed them.”
That blunt declaration came as chaos continues swirling around the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, where left-wing activists, Democratic politicians and immigration protesters have spent days accusing ICE of operating inhumane conditions inside the privately run center.
According to reports, hundreds of detainees launched labor stoppages and hunger strikes over complaints about living conditions. The Department of Homeland Security has flatly denied claims of abuse and insists the facility is operating within federal detention standards.
The situation boiled over Monday when demonstrators clashed with federal officers outside the facility. Sen. Andy Kim was reportedly hit with pepper spray during the confrontation, while New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill claimed she was blocked from entering the site.
Homan, however, wasn’t buying the outrage campaign.
“Go to ice.gov and look at ICE’s detention standards,” he told host Laura Ingraham. “The highest detention standards in the industry, better than any state prison, county jail, or federal lockup.”
He also pushed back hard on allegations of widespread mistreatment in ICE custody.
“Deaths in custody, they talk about people being mistreated,” Homan said. “Deaths in custody in ICE is a fraction of any state prison or federal facility, a fraction.”
Then came the moment guaranteed to send activist groups into meltdown mode.
“Look, I have done this since 1984. Hunger strikes never work,” Homan said. “We are not going to change what we do because someone goes on a hunger strike. And matter of fact, if it gets bad enough and the prisoners feel like they’re putting themselves in extreme danger, medical danger, then we’ll force-feed them. We will get a court order and force-feed them.”
Homan doubled down that the administration’s deportation and detention operations will continue regardless of demonstrations inside or outside the facility. “So they can put themselves in a position where they’re not eating, but it’s not going to cause them to be released,” he said. “We are going to continue to arrest people. We’ll continue to detain people.”
Newark NJs Delaney Hall detainees thought a hunger strike would force mass releases
Border Czar Tom Homan just shut that down hard. “Hunger strikes NEVER work. We’re NOT changing policy. If it gets bad enough, we’ll get a court order and FORCE FEED them.” pic.twitter.com/QmCALkawgq
— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) May 27, 2026
