Arizona legislators have mixed reactions to visit from Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar

PHOENIX — Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, addressed a joint session of the Arizona Legislature on Tuesday.

“We’re gonna run the biggest deportation operation in the history of this country,” Homan said during a speech in the House chamber of the state Capitol in Phoenix. “In a matter of weeks, we have illegal border crossings down 94% in five weeks.”

State Republicans reacted to his descriptions of a crackdown at the border with applause. The House speaker, Steve Montenegro, invited him to speak.

How did Arizona legislators react to visit from border czar Tom Homan?

One of the Republicans happy to see Homan was Rep. Matt Gress.

“I’m very pleased that he’s here,” Gress told KTAR News 92.3 FM after the speech. “I’m pleased that the Trump administration is paying close attention to immigration challenges that Arizona has experienced.”

However, Arizona Democratic lawmakers stood up and left shortly before he took to the podium.

NOW: AZ Dems walk out of a joint session of the Arizona legislature, as Trump Admin “border czar” Tom Homan began to speak. @KTAR923. pic.twitter.com/qlAP13r1js

— Balin Overstolz (@balin_om) April 8, 2025

Sen. Analise Ortiz said she protested because she believes Homan is lying when he says that only criminals are being deported.

“That is not true,” Ortiz told KTAR News. “There are law-abiding people who have been in this country with lawful status who have been kidnapped off the street and deported without due process.”

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