Thomas Homan, the current Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, didn’t hold back when he spoke to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto about sanctuary cities. President Donald Trump‘s pick to permanently head ICE, Homan said that such cities, which have policies of not cooperating with ICE when it comes to turning over undocumented immigrants, should face serious legal consequences.
“We gotta take them to court, and we gotta start charging some of these politicians with crimes,” Homan said. He suggested that the U.S. Department of Justice go after political leaders in sanctuary cities, and hold cities and states accountable for what he believes is a violation of federal law. Homan cited 8 U.S.C. § 1324, which deals with bringing in and harboring aliens. The statute says that it is a violation of federal law for if a person:
knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation;
Homan believes that government officials that enforce sanctuary policies are indeed concealing undocumented immigrants from detection by ICE, and should be held accountable.
In addition to criminal charges, Homan said that the government should withhold funding from jurisdictions that have sanctuary poicies. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has long pushed for taking money away from sanctuary cities. Homan said that President Trump agrees with this stance that
Homan addressed California Governor Jerry Brown, who is making his entire state a sanctuary state.
“If he thinks ICE is going away, we’re not,” Homan said. “There is no sanctuary from federal law enforcement.” He accused Brown of wanting to “put politics ahead of public safety.”
Homan went on to warn California that ICE is only going to increase their presence in the state.
“California better hold on tight,” he said.
[Image via Fox News screengrab]
