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ARIZONA BORDER AND IMMIGRATION NEWS

Tom Homan slams those who call ICE agents Nazis during speech at border expo in Phoenix

Border czar Tom Homan condemned comparisons between ICE officers and Nazis during a fiery speech in Phoenix on Tuesday.

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PHOENIX — Border czar Tom Homan condemned comparisons between Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Nazis during a fiery speech in Phoenix on Tuesday.

“The men and women of ICE … who strap their guns to their hip and wear their Kevlar vest every day to go out there and put their lives on the line for this nation, they don’t deserve that (expletive),” Homan said. “For any member of Congress to compare them to the Nazis or racists is the ultimate insult.”

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Homan made the remarks at the Border Security Expo, where he served as the keynote speaker, as federal immigration authorities continue to face intense criticism.

Tom Homan says comparing ICE officers to Nazis is insulting

That scrutiny has grown in the wake of the killings of two American citizens — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — during immigration enforcement crackdowns in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Amid that broader backlash, President Donald Trump recently floated the idea of renaming ICE as NICE.

“If we’re Nazis for enforcing immigration law, what’s that make you? You wrote the law,” Homan said. “We’re just enforcing the laws … and we’re not going to apologize for doing it.”

He also addressed controversy over ICE agents wearing masks, which Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has been an outspoken critic of. Last July, Mayes joined a multistate coalition urging Congress to pass legislation to stop federal agents from wearing masks to hide their identities.

“I wish I didn’t have to wear them, but because of the hateful rhetoric of members of the media and members of Congress and governors and mayors who don’t know what the hell they’re talking about, that’s necessary,” Homan said. “Threats are up over 8,000%.”

Serena O'Sullivan KTAR News Reporter and Editor

Serena O’Sullivan is a Phoenix-based news reporter and content editor for KTAR.com, where she covers local and national stories with a digital-first approach. Her reporting has appeared in major outlets including USA Today, Arizona Republic, Phoenix… Read more

Comments

33 Comments

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John V 3 months ago

No other president had balls to do what Trump is doing.

J
John V 3 months ago

Well your talking about the Dumbocrats.

J
John V 3 months ago

I agree with Tom. If you don't agree, your not a true American citizen.