“Hold On Tight”: Border Czar Tom Homan Predicts Historic Deportation Blitz As ICE Force Triples
In a message regarding the future of U.S. immigration enforcement, Border Czar Tom Homan announced Tuesday that the nation is on the precipice of a massive surge in deportations. While current removal numbers are already breaking records, Homan stated that the deployment of thousands of newly hired agents next year will push those figures into unprecedented territory.
Speaking during an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Homan detailed an operational expansion that he says will triple the size of current enforcement capabilities by mid-January.
Ramping Up Enforcement
The agency expects to complete over 600,000 removals of undocumented immigrants by the end of this year, a figure Homan originally highlighted at the Axios Future of Defense Summit in October.
However, on Tuesday, he clarified that the current statistics are merely a prelude to what is coming next.
“So between that record number of deportations, the record number of self-deports, we’re already having historic deportation operations. But hold on tight,” Homan told host Laura Ingraham. “We’re hiring 10,000 more that’s going to be on duty by mid-January.”
Homan emphasized the scale of this staffing increase, noting that adding 10,000 agents effectively triples the agency’s enforcement reach. “So if you think the numbers are historic now, wait until next year,” he added.
The “Self-Deportation” Factor
Beyond direct arrests and removals, officials are pointing to a significant rise in “self-deportations”—individuals choosing to leave the U.S. due to the perceived threat of enforcement.
According to Homan, when combining the 650,000 projected formal deportations with voluntary departures, the total number of individuals leaving the country is significantly higher.
“You got to consider the people who have left the country out of fear of being deported. There’s over 1.6 million of them. So there’s well over 2.2 million [who have] left the country already,” Homan said. He described this exodus as a core component of the administration’s strategy: “We knew if we send over a thousand ICE teams out there across the country, we send a message to the whole world. You enter this country illegally, we’re looking for you.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem corroborated these estimates, stating that the U.S. has seen roughly 1.6 million undocumented immigrants depart within her first 200 days. Noem attributed this shift to enforcement outcomes and an international advertising campaign urging migrants to “leave now.”
Pushback and Operations
During the interview, Ingraham pressed Homan on public sentiment, asking why some critics feel the current deportation numbers are “nowhere near enough.”
Homan’s response was blunt: “Come put a badge and gun on and give us a hand.”
He argued that the current operations are already outpacing the previous record set in 2012 by several hundred thousand removals.
The expansion of duties is already visible on the ground. The Department of Homeland Security recently launched “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” a targeted sweep in North Carolina focused on criminal offenders. The department reported 81 arrests on the operation’s first day, specifically targeting individuals in areas with sanctuary-style policies.
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