Border Czar Tom Homan stated Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not be deterred by criticism from opponents and remains committed to deporting criminal illegal aliens. “They won’t stop the men and women of ICE,” he said during an interview with Harris Faulkner.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents have faced a 1,000% surge in violence during operations. In a recent incident on Wednesday, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn killed an illegal alien detainee and injured two others before taking his own life. Police recovered unspent bullet casings marked with the phrase “anti-ICE” at the scene. While ICE was clearly targeted, no agents were harmed.

Homan highlighted that approximately 600,000 illegal aliens with criminal records remain at large, largely due to sanctuary city policies. He explained that local authorities in these jurisdictions often refuse to cooperate with ICE, forcing agents to search neighborhoods for criminals and risking the arrest of nonviolent individuals. “In sanctuary cities, they force us to go into communities to find the bad guy, and if we find them with others, they’re coming too,” he said. Homan emphasized that agents will not abandon their duty, stating, “If you want less collateral arrests, let us into the damn jail where it’s safe for the agent, the alien, and the community.”

Homan also expressed frustration over the rhetoric targeting ICE, citing personal losses. “Throughout my career, I’ve buried Border Patrol and ICE agents. I’ve handled too many folded flags for families who lost loved ones in the line of duty,” he said. He urged an end to inflammatory language, calling on agents to return home safely each night.

Despite Homan’s appeals, Democratic leaders have escalated their criticism. Rep. Nikki Budzinski accused ICE of “dangerous and reckless operations” on social media, while Sen. Mark Warner criticized agents for targeting “moms dropping off kids at daycare.” Rep. Robin Kelly labeled ICE actions as “Gestapo tactics,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Homan for deploying “masked ICE agents on the American people.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused ICE of fostering fear by conducting raids near churches and schools, while Sen. Dick Durbin claimed agents were “arresting first and asking questions later” based on appearance. California Governor Gavin Newsom labeled the Trump administration’s deportation efforts “authoritarian,” citing unmarked vehicles and lack of due process.

Homan dismissed anti-ICE protesters, claiming they are misled by media narratives. “If the media told the truth about what ICE is actually doing, maybe so many people wouldn’t get inflamed,” he said.