Trump’s border czar demands cooperation from state and local law enforcement

01/22/2025 / By Laura Harris

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan is set to work closely with state and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws and address illegal immigration.
The second Trump administration plans to intensify efforts to deport illegal immigrants who have already received removal orders.
Homan emphasized the need for partnerships with state, local and federal law enforcement, urging the public’s involvement in identifying and reporting illegal activities.
Some sanctuary cities, like San Diego and Los Angeles, have taken preemptive measures to protect illegal immigrants by blocking the use of local resources for ICE activities and prohibiting city personnel from participating in federal immigration enforcement.
The Los Angeles Unified School District declared itself a “sanctuary district” for students and families, implementing training for staff to handle interactions with federal immigration agents.

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan is planning on working closely with state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws and tackle illegal immigration.

In an interview with Jan Jekielek of the Epoch Times at the Turning Point USA event on Jan. 19, Homan, who previously served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first Trump administration, revealed that this administration intends to ramp up efforts to remove illegal immigrants who have already been ordered to leave the country.(Related: Tom Homan calls for weekly White House deportation briefings to update the public.)

“It’s a big operation,” Homan told Jekielek. “Every day, we’re gonna make a difference. For every criminal we take off the streets, we make the streets safer. For every child we find in sex trafficking, it’s going to save a life. For every pound of fentanyl we seize at the border … there’s going to be less overdose deaths in this country. You’re going to see a difference, starting day one.”

He then announced that local law enforcement, particularly in sanctuary cities, needs to cooperate with mass deportations.

“We want partnerships with state, local, federal law enforcement,” he said. “So we want American people to get involved. They see a lot of things.”

Sanctuary cities have already taken steps to protect illegals

Despite the announcement, some sanctuary cities have already taken steps to protect illegal immigrants following Trump’s pledge to initiate mass deportations.

For instance, in December, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a policy that will block the use of county resources to support ICE activities, including the deportation of illegal immigrants. The policy specifically prohibits the use of state and local funds for activities such as investigation, interrogation or detention for immigration enforcement. However, it does not limit or prohibit assistance with investigative activities related to suspected violations of criminal laws.

Board Chair Nora Vargas, who proposed the “board policy on immigration to enhance community safety,” emphasized the need to protect immigrant families and build trust within the community. The policy aligns with state laws signed by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2013 and 2017, which restrict the cooperation of local law enforcement with immigration authorities.

Similarly, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance in November 2024 that bans the use of city resources and personnel for federal immigration enforcement after Trump confirmed reports that he would declare a nationwide emergency and use military assets to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

Under the ordinance, city personnel are barred from inquiring about the immigration status of an individual or making arrests to enforce federal immigration law. The ordinance also prohibits city personnel from participating in immigration enforcement activities or providing federal immigration agents with access to information on people’s immigration status. City personnel are prohibited from responding to administrative warrants or requests to detain, transfer or notify federal immigration agents about the status or release of an illegal immigrant.

The Los Angeles Unified School District also adopted a resolution that same month, declaring itself a “sanctuary district” for students and families within the school district. The resolution includes training for teachers, administrators and staff on how to respond to federal immigration agents who request information or try to enter school property.

In other words, some sanctuary cities have already “Trump-proofed” their cities even before the president’s inauguration.

Visit BorderSecurity.News for more stories like this.

Watch this interview with incoming border czar Tom Homan.

This video is from the Sons of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com.