Border Czar Says 68,000 Illegal Immigrants Arrested So Far, More to Come

WASHINGTON—Approximately 68,000 illegal aliens were arrested inside the United States over the past three months, Tom Homan, designated the border czar by President Donald Trump, told reporters at the White House on April 23.

“And we’re going to continue, despite what the district court says,” Homan said, referring to ongoing legal battles surrounding Trump’s deportation orders.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein issued a ruling on April 9, which he extended on April 22, blocking the federal government from utilizing the act, citing a lack of legal protection for the accused.

Homan pushed back on the court’s decision and said appeals are underway.

“Maybe we’ve got to hold off on some of the deportation operation we’re doing, but it’s not going to stop us from seeking these people now, arresting them, and taking them off the streets of the United States while we’re waiting for the courts to decide,” he said.

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He additionally invoked the Alien Enemies Act to allow the swift deportation of individuals deemed dangerous to society.

Homan chastised critics who suggest some arrested are not given the opportunity to plead their cases in court.

“They want to say our administration is inhumane, we’re not giving due process,” he said.

“I find it incredible that there’s all this push for more and more and more due process, more process for these designated terror groups, when, in fact, no one asked for due process when they crossed the border.

“No one asked for a vetting when they crossed the border.”

He highlighted the role that secure borders, including a wall, play in assisting legal immigrants and identifying human crises and medical emergencies, suggesting such efforts help save “thousands” of lives every day.

“Every place we build a border barrier, illegal immigration went down, illegal drug flow went down,” Homan said. “But, you know, what no one talks about, the wall saves lives.”

The border czar said the administration is working to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to deport public safety threats and secure the border to protect national security.

Among those recently arrested are 27 members of the notorious Tren de Aragua transnational gang.

“As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang–it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.

“Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate [the gang’s] infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”

Homan said the efforts exemplify a successful collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and state and local law enforcement agencies, and marked the administration’s first use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to target criminal illegal aliens.

“We sent a strong message to Tren de Aragua,” he said. “We’re going to keep doing this.”