ICE Deportations Hit Record High in September, Border Czar Warns New York

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a record number of undocumented migrants in September, President Trump's border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, while also issuing a warning to New York regarding its cooperation with federal agents.

Homan made the announcement during a visit to the Port of Miami, where he highlighted the Trump administration's border security efforts. He stated that ICE had broken its record for arrests each month between June and August, with September's deportations marking a new agency high. "This is what American people voted for and this is what they’re getting, a safer America," Homan said.

He asserted that the removal of hundreds of thousands of individuals in the country illegally has contributed to lower crime rates nationwide. "Hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens have been removed from this country, which makes your neighborhood safer, which is part of the reason that crime rates are at an all time low," Homan stated.

The border czar specifically addressed New York, where Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation restricting local police departments from collaborating with ICE. Homan emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation, noting that such partnerships allow federal officers to apprehend individuals while they are in jail. "I was hoping places like New York and Chicago would follow that model – work with us, let us arrest the bad guy in the safety and security of the jail," he said. "Because if you don’t, we’re going to do our job, which means we're going to the neighborhood, and we'll find the bad guy, and many times they're with others –– if they're in the country illegally, they're coming too, even if they're not the target of that operation, they're coming."

US Customs and Borders Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, also present at the event, stated that under the Trump administration, "America has worked to achieve the most secure border in our history." He added that for nearly 18 months, Border Patrol had not released any undocumented migrants into the country.

When questioned about a recent data breach affecting the Department of Homeland Security, Homan acknowledged that the Justice Department was investigating. He also highlighted the increasing threats and assaults faced by ICE officers, reminding the public that agents have families and perform a difficult and dangerous job. "I want the American people to know that ICE agents are mothers and fathers, too. They have families, too. They don’t hang their heart on a hook when they come into work. They got a difficult job, a dangerous job."