Most Americans have probably never heard of Tom Homan. Given the role he will soon take on in Donald Trump’s second administration, he will likely become much better known very soon. NBC News reported:

“I am pleased to announce that former ICE Director and Border Control stalwart Tom Homan will join the Trump Administration in charge of, but is not limited to, our Nation’s Borders (‘Border Czar’). Southern Border, Northern Border, All Maritime and Aviation Security,” Trump said. he wrote in a message shared on the social media platform.

The message continued: “I have known Tom for a long time and there is no one better than him at monitoring and controlling our Borders.” “Likewise, Tom Homan will be responsible for the return of Illegal Aliens to their Countries of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt that he will do a wonderful and long-awaited job.”

The president-elect’s confidence is misplaced.

Like Rachel explained on the show A few weeks ago Homan was largely seen as an architect. Trump’s policy of separating children from their parents at the border. Also one of the Republicans helped write right-wing Project 2025 plan.

At a radical rally in Pennsylvania last month, Homan also publicly swore“I will carry out the largest deportation operation this country has ever seen.”

Five weeks later, Trump tapped him as the nation’s “border czar.”

Ahead of Election Day, the Republican candidate boasted about his vision of mass deportation. militarized deportations And mass detention camps — though some of his congressional allies have suggested that actual policy will be less extreme after the election. For example, on CNN’s “State of the Union”, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan said The new administration aimed to focus on “immigrants who commit crimes here.”

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” made a similar comment“We’re talking about criminal cartels, drug dealers, people on the terrorist watch list,” he tells host Kristen Welker of the deportations.

But there are several reasons to be skeptical of these efforts to downplay the scope of the upcoming policy. For one thing, this contradicts the situation Trump’s first term agenda.

Second, Homan has already made clear that his focus is: I wouldn’t will be limited to dangerous criminals. Inside report For example, on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program, which aired a few weeks ago, the incoming “border czar” was asked if there was a way to carry out mass deportations without separating families.

“Of course there is,” he replied. “Families can be deported together.”

Inside same interviewHoman suggested that children who are American citizens should also expect to pack up and move to a foreign country if their parents are undocumented.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Republicans steered clear of such positions because they feared backlash from Latino voters. But in 2024, Trump ran on a reactionary anti-immigrant platform and made dramatic gains Among Latino voters anyway.

Ron Brownstein a lot has been written Speaking about it for The Atlantic, Trump explains that he has reason to believe he can “achieve the best of both worlds politically”: He can mobilize xenophobic, far-right voters with his Republican, anti-immigrant agenda while also winning votes from immigrant communities. I don’t know or I don’t care his hateful vision.

It is within this framework that Homan receives radical authority from the president-elect. Watch this space.