Homan Says New York Limits on ICE Cooperation Will Increase Federal Manpower and Out-of-State Transfers

Tom Homan, the border czar, said New York Governor Kathy Hochul's efforts to limit local cooperation with ICE will lead to increased federal manpower in the state and the transfer of arrested migrants to out-of-state detention facilities. Homan made the remarks Wednesday night on Fox News in response to Hochul's statements earlier that day.

He said the governor was not helping the migrant communities she aims to protect. "She wants to end the partnership we currently have which means now we've got to send a whole team to look for a criminal that we could arrest in the safety and security of a jail, which is safer for the officers, safer for the aliens, certainly safer for the communities," Homan told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

The border czar added that limiting access to local jails would reduce efficiency and require more personnel. He said this would lead officials to increase manpower significantly. Homan stated that without the ability to hold migrants in New York jails, federal authorities would fly them to detention facilities in Texas or Arizona.

This would separate them from their families and attorneys in the state. "We're gonna arrest an illegal alien, we're gonna fly them to Texas, Arizona, to one of the detention facilities there away from their families, away from their attorneys," Homan said.

State officials are nearing a deal, to be included in the delayed state budget, that would restrict how much local law enforcement and jails can work with federal immigration authorities. Hochul said Wednesday she was "not asking" for more ICE agents to operate in New York.

The governor reiterated her position Thursday, saying she does not respond well to threats and that state officials would proceed with measures they believe protect New Yorkers. She noted she has not spoken directly to Trump or Homan since the latest disagreement began.

If local jurisdictions cannot rent beds to ICE or communicate with the agency except in cases of criminal charges, detained migrants would be sent to other parts of the country, according to Homan. The most comprehensive existing agreement is with Nassau County.

Homan said that ending current partnerships would require federal teams to locate individuals in neighborhoods rather than at jails. He described this as less safe for officers, the individuals being arrested and surrounding communities. The border czar's comments reflect the Trump administration's position that reduced local cooperation will necessitate greater federal resources in the state.

New York officials have not detailed how the proposed budget changes would be implemented if approved.