Border czar Tom Homan erupted Wednesday night after Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused the Trump administration of abandoning migrant children and subjecting immigrant communities to aggressive ICE “overreach.”
“I’m sick of the lying. I’m sick of the distortion of the facts!” Homan declared on Fox News’ Hannity.
The latest collision began when Hochul, Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James announced $7.25 million in state funding to provide legal services for approximately 1,400 unaccompanied migrant children facing removal proceedings. More than 250 are currently detained, according to the governor’s office.
The state says the money is necessary because a federal legal-services contract expired July 31. Hochul accused the Trump administration of “walking away” from vulnerable children.
“No child in our state should ever face the fear and uncertainty of the immigration process without advocates and legal support in their corner,” Hochul said.
Mamdani went further, accusing Washington of displaying “cruelty” and abandoning children to “exploitation and deportation.”
Homan called that a “blatant, disgusting lie.”
“We just changed contracts,” he said. “We have a contract in place right now that defends the children at a better rate than what was being done in the past.”
Homan claimed no child appearing at a hearing under the replacement arrangement has lacked an attorney.
Homan then turned the argument away from legal funding and toward New York’s sanctuary policies.
“Since I’ve been border czar, New York state has denied over 14,000 detainers,” he said.
According to figures Homan presented, those detainers involved approximately 6,800 illegal immigrants convicted of assault, 800 convicted of offenses against children and 770 convicted of rape or other sex crimes.
New York has deliberately restricted cooperation between local authorities and ICE.
The state’s new law prohibits local governments, police departments and correctional facilities from entering federal 287(g) agreements permitting local participation in civil immigration enforcement. It also restricts ICE activity in designated “sensitive locations,” prohibits officers from wearing masks during public encounters and creates a state cause of action allowing people to sue government officers for alleged constitutional violations.
Hochul insists local authorities can still cooperate with federal agencies on criminal investigations. Homan argues the state is eliminating the safest and most efficient way for ICE to take custody of deportable offenders inside jails.
When local jurisdictions refuse detainers, ICE must locate suspects after they have been released into the community—requiring more agents and creating a greater risk of confrontation.
“You’re releasing predators to the street every day across the state,” Homan charged. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to protect children.”
The border czar also hammered the Biden administration over its handling of unaccompanied migrant children.
“Where were they when a half-million children were separated from their families, put in the hands of criminal cartels and smuggled across the border?” Homan asked.
He claimed the Trump administration has located 151,000 children whom the Biden administration “wasn’t even looking for,” some of whom were allegedly subjected to sex trafficking or forced labor.
There was unquestionably a serious federal tracking failure. A 2024 Homeland Security inspector general’s report found that more than 32,000 unaccompanied children failed to appear for scheduled immigration hearings between fiscal years 2019 and 2023. ICE had also failed to issue court notices to more than 291,000 children.
The report warned that insufficient monitoring placed children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation and forced labor.
Homan ended his broadside with a message for Hochul and Mamdani.
“You’re welcome that ICE has taken thousands of criminals off your street,” he said. “You’re welcome.”
WIRE SOURCES:
- ‘I’m sick of the lying!’ Tom Homan unloads on Hochul and Mamdani — Mediaite
- Hochul, Mamdani and James announce $7.25 million legal fund and new ICE restrictions — New York governor’s office
- Homan threatens additional ICE deployment over New York’s restrictions — CBS News New York
- DHS watchdog details failures to monitor unaccompanied migrant children
- Fact check: What the “300,000 missing children” figure actually represents — CBS News
