Politics

Tom Homan Clashes With Margaret Brennan Over ICE Vehicle Stops

(Screenshot/CBS)

Border czar Tom Homan clashed Sunday with “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan while saying rhetoric by members of Congress “emboldened” people to confront federal immigration agents.

President Donald Trump ended a pause in the use of vehicle stops ordered by Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin following two incidents in which illegal immigrants were shot and killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The decreased reportedly attempted to run the agents down with their vehicles. During his appearance on the show, however, Homan declined to comment on the incidents when Brennan raised them.

“I don’t want to get ahead of investigations on who’s at fault, what exactly happened,” Homan told Brennan. “Because we all know, when the investigations happen, there’s going to be cell phone video, there may be city cameras, and, of course, then you got witness statements and affidavits from the officer and witnesses. So we got to let the investigations play out. So, I don’t want to really comment on investigation[s] themselves, but … I think … Markwayne Mullin, you know, took some action, and, in concern of the safety of the agents and how we do operations. And that’s why he did that, you know, that pause on enforcement on vehicle stops.”

WATCH:

“But you know, my concern is … I’ve done this since 1984. My concern is I think a lot of the rhetoric that you see every day — especially in sanctuary cities and at these protests that resist, members of Congress saying ICE isn’t a real law enforcement agency — … I actually think that emboldens some people to say, ‘I’m not going to comply with ICE,'” Homan continued.

Homan noted that law enforcement agencies conduct vehicle stops and deal with mistaken identity “all the time,” prompting Brennan to question the use of unmarked vehicles and to claim it doesn’t allow people to recognize they are being stopped by law enforcement.

“No, they have emergency lights. Officers have insignia, so when they get out of that car and approach the car, you can clearly see the law enforcement officers,” Homan said. Brennan responded, “Well, in the video that has been [made] public it’s not a marked car.”

“I’m not saying it’s a marked car, but they have emergency lights and sirens. So when they pull someone over, they want to activate the emergency lights,” Homan responded. “A lot of police departments — I’m in New York City right now — a lot of NYPD [New York Police Department] officers are driving unmarked vehicles, and that helps them find people that don’t want to be found.”

The NYPD utilizes both unmarked cars and leased vehicles for use in certain operations, according to the New York Daily News.

Homan also blamed Democrats for delaying the deployment of body cameras, which he said would “exonerate” officers involved in incidents.

“You can have a cell phone camera from a witness on the side. You can have, you know, city cameras or whatever, but I want the American people to see what that officer sees when he makes … the decision and takes the action,” Homan said. “I think the American people need to see what that officer sees and hears.”