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By comparison, immigration enforcement under Biden reportedly averaged roughly 300 arrests daily during his final year in office.
At first glance, some observers may focus on the percentage of arrests involving criminal offenders. Homan noted that approximately 64 percent of current arrests involve criminal aliens.
Critics have attempted to use that number as evidence that ICE is casting too wide a net.
Homan disagrees.
In fact, he argues that the figure reflects obstacles deliberately created by sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities.
When local governments allow ICE agents to take custody of criminal offenders inside jails, enforcement operations remain highly targeted.
But when those same jurisdictions block cooperation, agents are forced to locate offenders inside neighborhoods and communities instead.
As a result, additional illegal aliens encountered during those operations are often taken into custody as well.
According to Homan, those so-called “collateral arrests” are not the result of aggressive federal policy. They are the direct consequence of sanctuary city policies that make targeted enforcement more difficult.
The Sanctuary City Effect
Homan pointed specifically to states and cities that have adopted policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
New York has become one of the most prominent examples.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, a move supporters praised but critics warned would shield criminal aliens from deportation.
Homan has made it clear that such policies will not stop enforcement efforts.
Instead, he indicated that federal authorities will increase their presence in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate.
The result, he argues, will be more arrests—not fewer.
A Long Road Back
Homan also compared current numbers with results achieved during President Trump’s first administration.
At that time, roughly 75 percent of ICE arrests involved criminal offenders.
Current enforcement levels remain below that benchmark, but Homan sees the trend moving in the right direction.
The figure stood around 70 percent only months ago before additional sanctuary policies complicated enforcement efforts.
For Homan, the current 64 percent rate is not evidence of failure.
Rather, he views it as a temporary consequence of operating in jurisdictions that actively resist federal immigration enforcement.
The Criminal Population Still on the Streets
Perhaps the most alarming revelation involved the number of criminal offenders still being located during enforcement operations.
Homan highlighted a recent operation in Minnesota that resulted in the arrests of numerous serious offenders.
Among those arrested were 14 individuals with homicide convictions.
Agents also apprehended 87 individuals with sex offense convictions and 28 known gang members.
Those arrests occurred during a concentrated operation in a single state over a relatively short period of time.
For supporters of stronger immigration enforcement, the operation serves as evidence that dangerous offenders remain embedded in communities across the country.
The Political Debate Continues
Immigration remains one of the most divisive issues in American politics.
Democrats continue to argue that sanctuary policies help build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
Republicans counter that such policies make it harder to remove dangerous offenders and force federal agents into more complicated and less efficient enforcement operations.
Homan clearly falls into the latter camp.
His argument is straightforward: when local governments refuse to hand criminal aliens over to ICE in secure facilities, federal agents must find them elsewhere.
That process requires more resources, creates more community disruptions, and ultimately results in more arrests.
As the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown, Homan’s latest comments are likely to fuel an already heated national debate.
But regardless of where Americans stand politically, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore—the scale of the immigration enforcement challenge left behind after four years of Biden-era policies appears far larger than many were led to believe.
