Hi, Tom.
How are you going?
Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming, Tom. What's the status on adding more beds in the detention centers?
In the middle of it right now. DHS is reviewing pending contracts, looking for new contracts. We're going to work our way up to 100,000 beds. We got the funding to do it; we're working on it.
[Inaudible] maybe starting their own Alligator Alcatraz. Can you confirm which states [Inaudible]
I won't confirm the status until we have an agreement, but I applaud the states that are stepping up because this illegal immigration issue is a state problem too and millions of people released by the Biden administration in the states, so I'm glad the states are stepping up and helping.
The vice president said that he hopes that you'll reach net negative immigration this year. Do you think that's possible? And when do you think that will happen?
I hope so too, but how quickly bring the resources on. We just got the Big, Beautiful Bill which going to put more boots on the ground. It's going to fund more detention beds. It's how quickly we can bring people out and get them on the street to make the arrest. So you know, great goal, but I'd be foolish to give you a number because I don't know.
There's too many factors, how many people can we get on the streets, how quick we'll bring more agents on the street, how quick can we bring contractors in that can do a job that don't require a badge and guns, that badge and gun get on the street? So there's too many variables, but our goal is to arrest everybody we can as long -- prioritizing criminal safety threats and national security threats, but I'll say it again, in sanctuary cities where our priority is now, you force us in the community to arrest the bad guy, find a bad guy, if he's with others in the country illegally, they're coming too.
Mr. Homan, are you going to -- There are reports that ICE is looking to expand ankle monitors for 180,000 plus migrants in the ATD Alternative To Detention program. What can you tell us about that?
I'm not on weeds on that, but I support it. I looked at the numbers the other day on the removal orders over the last year. 51 percent of those who got a removal order were in absentia, which means they didn't show up in court. So ankle monitors helps us with that, so I'm not in the weeds on that, but if that's happening, I support it 100 percent.
Mr. Homan, are you going to keep sending Venezuelan Venezuela members of the TDA to -- Following up on that, [Inaudible]
Well, every case is different. The deportation officers make that judgment based on criminal history, immigration history. So it's a case by case basis. But I can tell you, back when I was ICE director having that GPS capability increased those going to court a lot. So it doesn't make a difference. And it's cheaper than detention, right, in some cases.
But again, it depends on the cases, but GPS in the past has been very helpful in getting people to court. And that's a big -- like I said, 51 percent of removal orders are in absentia. If GPS helps us get them court, I'm all behind it.
Tom, a longtime friend of the president passed away today, Hulk Hogan, dead at 71. Do you have a favorite Hulk Hogan memory?
I love Hulk Hogan. I had an Italian mastiff dog, 200 pounds, his name, Hulk Homan.
Sir, has the president spoke with you at all about what [Inaudible]
That's a conversation that's ongoing now. I'm not going to get ahead of the president on that, but we'll see what comes out. Look, we have conversations every day on strategy and policies. That's one conversation happening. But again, I don't want to get ahead of the president. We'll see what comes up.
Mr. Homan, in terms of the deportation, are you going to keep sending Venezuelan members of the TDA to El Salvador or [Inaudible] are you going to send them directly to Venezuela?
It depends. El Salvador is always an option. They've agreed. They're a country safe agreement with them. And if they're a citizen in El Salvador, it's a proper place for them to go is El Salvador. That's their homeland.
And for your vision, Mr. Homan, how often do you meet with Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller on your vision? And are you all aligned on the border?
I meet with Stephen Miller every day. Stephen Miller is brilliant. I don't care if you like or love the guy, he's the smartest guy I've ever dealt with when it comes to immigration and border policy, smart guy and I'm honored to work with him. Kristi Noem, we talk very frequently. There's no daylight between us.
On the fentanyl situation on the Mexico border and with Canadians, can you give us an update on whether you see progress on that? That's the basis for the tariff on both countries?
We're in the middle of discussions with Canadian officials. I met with them several times. I'm not in a position to comment on that yet.
All right. Thank you. [Inaudible] indicated he would try to help Afghan nationals with aid of the United States [Inaudible] will that extend to those who aided the United States who are here under [Inaudible]
It's out of my lane. That'd be something for the State Department. I'm familiar with some discussions going on, but State Department has a big role in that, so I'll leave that to them.
Hey, Tom, Louisville, Kentucky recently walked back their status designation as Sanctuary City. Here in D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is walking back her position as D.C. is a sanctuary jurisdiction. Is there a message in there for other cities like L.A., like Boston, like Chicago? And do you hope to see more jurisdictions changed?
Absolutely, sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals, hard stop, bottom line. That's what it is. And President Trump made a commitment a couple of weeks ago that we're going to prioritize sanctuary cities. I made a statement the other day about New York. We're going to flood the zone. Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they don't want, more agents in the communities and more worksite enforcement.
Why is that, because they won't let one agent arrest one bad guy in the jail. They're going to release a public safety threat back in the community. Now I got to send a whole team to go find that person. So you know, we're going to find the bad guy whether they help us or not. So if they release them the community, we got to send more people to do that because we just can't send one officer in the community to find a bad guy because of officer safety consideration, and he has access to who knows what weapons, right, the illegal alien criminal.
So we got to send the whole team. Now, in New York, he's releasing hundreds of criminals every week, right straight from the precincts. We got to go find them. So we know we have a problem in New York City and that's why President Trump wants to prioritize sanctuary cities. We know they're releasing and public safety threats every day.
We don't have that problem in Florida. We don't have that problem in Texas. So those resources can certainly be redeployed. I talked to Kristi Nolan about it. We're going to flood the zone of sanctuary cities. President Trump made it a priority. It's the right thing to do. With our limited resources right now, we need to concentrate on the worst first like we've done since day one.
We can continue that especially in sanctuary cities where we got no assistance.
Do you have a [Inaudible] arrests [Inaudible] assault on ICE officers will continue to increase?
I hope not and I hope the rhetoric especially from members of Congress stops. I've seen members of Congress compare ICE to the Nazis, racists, terrorists. Members of Congress need to understand one thing, ICE is enforcing the law that Congress wrote and enacted. So if an ICE agent Is enforcing immigration law, they call him a racist, what does that make Congress?
They wrote the law. ICE agents aren't making this up. They're out there enforcing laws enacted by Congress and signed by president. I'll say it again. We're focusing on national security threats and public safety threats. They're making this country safe every day. It's the right thing to do. And I'm sick and tired of reading in the media that most of the people we arrest aren't criminals.
Tell the whole story. The majority of the arrests are criminals, public safety threats. Who are the others? Many are national security threats. They may not have a criminal conviction. We got over 300 Iranians that were arrested last month or so, may not have a criminal conviction, but they're a national security threat.
Who are the others who were arrested? Those were find orders. Those who had due process at great taxpayer expense, a federal judge says you must leave and they became a fugitive. So we're going to arrest them too. If not, we send a whole send a message to the whole world, enter the country illegally. It's a crime, but don't worry about it. Go to court or don't go to court, get an order removal, don't worry about it because no one's looking for you.
No, we're going to send a message to the whole world, you got the right to due process, but at the end of that due process, if you're ordered removed, you're leaving. Because we don't execute those orders, then what the hell are we doing? Shut down immigration court doesn't mean anything anymore. Take the border off the border.
No, we're going to enforce the law.
[Inaudible] arrests per day, a quota?
Pardon me?
Do you have a quota of migrants you want to arrest?
I don't have any quota. I want to arrest many public safety threats and national security threats as possible. I'll rest when every public safety threat, illegal alien is removed from this country. And for those who question the 3,000 a day, saying it's unreasonable number, do the math. We'd have to arrest 7,000 a day every day for the remainder of this administration just to remove those who Biden administration released in the country illegally.
Tom, the vice president is attacking Microsoft for firing Americans while still applying for H-1b visas? What's your message to companies that are doing just that?
Look, it's illegal to hire illegal aliens. As far as that, that would be a question for Joe Edlow over CIS. They handle the visas. And again, I'm the border czar. I'm an enforcement guy. I'm in the export program, not the import program.
Is there any concern --
Day?
[Inaudible]
Yes.
Can you give [Inaudible] self-deportation numbers?
Last time I looked, it's over 6,000 going through the CPB home app, but according to numerous studies, there's over one million self-deportations since President Trump took office, which is a great thing.
Any concerns -- [Inaudible] murder rate in history. How much do you attribute the lockdown --
A lot, a lot. We've looked at the numbers this morning and ICE has over 150,000 arrests in the interior, most of them criminals. Every criminal ice arrest makes the community much safer. That's what President Trump's committed to. President Trump wants a better, safer America. And that's exactly what men and women of ICE are doing every day.
And let me say this about the attacks on ICE. I want you all to remember, ICE agents are mothers and fathers too. They don't hang their heart on a hook every day they come to work. I'm sick and tired of the attacks on ICE. President Trump's sick and tired of it. You impede an ICE officer, you're going to jail.
You throw a stone, you're going to jail. If you interfere with the enforcement, you're going to jail. We're done. We're done playing the game. We're going to enforce the law, we're going to make America safer and we're going to do it with no apologies.
Tom, you mentioned the Iranians, sir. Tom, you mentioned the 300 Iranians --