Tom Homan defends ICE’s crackdown on Somali migrants in Minnesota — after revelation of massive fraud
WASHINGTON – Border czar Thomas Homan defended ICE’s latest sweep in Minnesota, where officials say up to half of the Somali community may have bogus immigration documents. Homan argued that Minneapolis and the surrounding area are rife with undocumented residents, but he insisted U.S. citizens pose no threat in this crackdown.
“I’m talking about a large illegal Somali community there,” Homan told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “If you’re a U.S. citizen, you know, you have nothing to fear.” He added that because Minneapolis is a sanctuary city, ICE needs to pour more resources into the area and deploy full teams to track down suspects.
President Trump recently angered the state’s Somali residents after a $1 billion fraud scandal involving immigrant aid programs came to light. Minneapolis‑St. Paul, home to America’s largest Somali population, has seen ICE arrest more than a dozen undocumented migrants in the past week.
The fraud scheme involved fraudsters posing as service providers, stealing taxpayer money, and funneling it to themselves, federal prosecutors said. Dozens have already faced charges, with the controversy centering largely on the Somali community.
“They contribute nothing,” Trump fired off during a recent cabinet meeting. “I don’t want them in our country.” White House deputy policy chief Stephen Miller said the fraud operation might be “the single greatest theft of taxpayer dollars, through welfare fraud, in American history.”
Miller promised that deeper investigations would “shock the American people,” according to his remarks on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
Homan dismissed critics who downplay the undocumented population and underscored that the administration prioritizes “public safety threats.” He made it clear that any illegal immigrant caught will be detained and deported.
These hard‑line immigration measures have sparked backlash from the political left and even some GOP lawmakers, who feel the tactics are overbearing. CNN’s Dana Bash aired a clip of a U.S. citizen detained by immigration officers only after officials discovered her driver’s license.
Homan explained that repeat claims of U.S. citizenship by illegal aliens are common, but arrests require “reasonable suspicion.” Once questioning is over, U.S. citizens are released; only probable cause leads to an arrest and subsequent detention.
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