Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Tom Homan Vows To ‘Seek Prosecution’ Of New Jersey Governor If He Is Truly Housing Migrant

[Screenshot/Fox News]

Border czar Tom Homan vowed Monday to investigate and “seek prosecution” against Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy if he is knowingly housing an illegal migrant on his property.

Murphy said during a Saturday event that he is housing a female illegal immigrant above his garage and dared Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents to come to his home and arrest her, which Homan said is a violation of federal law. The governor’s statement followed the agency’s crackdown on illegal immigration and the more than 7,400 arrests of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of heinous crimes since President Donald Trump took office.

“Well I think the governor is pretty foolish saying what he said because I got note of it, won’t let it go, we’ll look into it and if he’s knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a violation of Title VIII, United States Code 1324. I will seek prosecution, or [Department of Homeland Secretary] Kristi Noem will seek prosecution. So, maybe he’s bluffing, if he’s not, we’ll deal with that,” Homan said.

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A source close to Murphy told Fox News that no person ever actually moved into the governor’s home, but had been open to welcoming an immigrant, who was said to be a legal resident, into his private residence.

“No one ever actually moved into his home, so not for a month, not for a week, not for an hour, not for a day,” the source told Fox News. “He was just talking about someone in his broader orbit who was on edge over the broader climate and was concerned. He mentioned, not even to the person, he mentioned to someone else that they could move in if they want, so I think that’s where some of the misunderstanding was.”

The state of New Jersey became a sanctuary state in March 2019 and has provided shelter and support for illegal immigrants. ICE agents recently conducted a raid in Newark, New Jersey, in late January and arrested three illegal immigrants, including one who was previously deported.

Homan warned in November that Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and others who obstruct federal agents’ efforts to arrest and deport illegal immigrants could go to jail.

Since Trump took office, ICE agents have arrested several illegal immigrants with lengthy criminal records, including one gang member with 17 prior criminal convictions in Boston, Massachusetts. Agents also arrested a Dominican national in Massachusetts who was convicted in 2007 of beating his wife to death in front of her 5-year-old son.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 to declare a national emergency at the U.S,-Mexico border in order to utilize additional resources to address the migrant crisis that began under former President Joe Biden’s administration. The administration further reversed a Biden-era policy that prohibited ICE agents from making arrests inside “sensitive locations,” such as churches, hospitals and schools.

The president further imposed 25% tariffs on China and Mexico and a 10% tariff on China in response to the border crisis and the overflow of drugs flooding into the U.S. The tariffs have been paused for 30 days after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico will add 10,000 troops to the border, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to appoint a “Fentanyl Czar” to address the drug crisis and invest over $1 billion into adding more resources to the northern border.