Tom Homan blames lack of compliance for recent fatal shootings by ICE agents during federal immigration operations.
Tom Homan, the border czar for the administration, defended the recent fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, arguing that the victims failed to comply with law enforcement. Speaking to reporters and during an interview with Margaret Brennan, Homan stated that the deceased would have survived if they had simply followed orders during vehicle stops. He noted that while some critics argue ICE is not a true law enforcement agency, individuals should always comply and use the court system to dispute any perceived mistreatment. Homan addressed specific incidents, including the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine. When pressed on the fact that some victims did not realize they were being stopped by agents, Homan initially insisted that vehicles were equipped with emergency lights. However, after being shown video evidence where lights were not visible, Homan admitted he had not seen the specific footage. He further attributed the lack of body cameras in these incidents to a delay in funding caused by Democratic lawmakers during a government shutdown.