Border czar Homan defers to investigations after recent ICE shootings

In an interview on "Face the Nation," ICE director Tom Homan said the agency will await the results of investigations into two recent fatal shootings involving immigrants in Maine and Houston before commenting on responsibility. He noted that video evidence, city cameras, witness statements and officer affidavits are expected to be reviewed.

Homan said Senator Markwayne Mullin had ordered a temporary pause on vehicle stops to protect agents, and he warned that rhetoric questioning ICE’s authority could encourage non-compliance. He argued that individuals who resist lawful stops put themselves at risk and that legal avenues exist for those who believe a stop was improper.

When asked about the unmarked vehicle involved in the Houston incident, Homan asserted that ICE vehicles are equipped with emergency lights and sirens, though he could not confirm whether they were activated in that case. He said body-camera deployment has been delayed by a prior government shutdown, but funding secured in the recent reconciliation bill has allowed cameras to be purchased and training to begin.

Homan expressed support for body cameras, stating they help the public see officers’ perspective and that data shows they more often exonerate agents than implicate wrongdoing. He declined to comment on a DHS report identifying non-citizens in four states or any potential election-related operations, directing the question to the department’s secretary.