White House border czar Tom Homan said he dislikes ICE agents wearing masks but defended their use, citing large increases in assaults and threats against officers. DHS released figures showing a significant rise in assaults, but neither Homan nor DHS specified timeframes or sources for the percentage spikes. The remarks came as a partial DHS-focused government shutdown began amid a standoff over reforms — including body cameras, visible ID, mask bans and warrants for private-property arrests — that Democrats say must be resolved before they approve funding.
Homan: 'I Don't Like the Masks' on ICE — But Agents 'Have To Protect Themselves' Amid Surge in Attacks
Washington — White House border czar Tom Homan said he dislikes masks worn by federal immigration agents but defended their use, saying officers need protection amid what he described as a sharp rise in assaults and threats against staff.
"I don't like the masks either," Homan told Ed O'Keefe during an appearance on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on Sunday. He said assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have surged by 1,500% and threats by 8,000%. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release on Jan. 26 reported that assaults on ICE officers rose by more than 1,300%. Neither Homan nor the DHS statement provided a timeframe or sourcing for those figures.
"These men and women have to protect themselves," Homan said.
The comments came as a partial government shutdown focused on DHS began, after congressional Democrats and the White House failed to agree on reforms to how ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) carry out immigration enforcement. The agencies have faced heightened scrutiny since federal agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota in January.
Democrats are pressing a slate of changes tied to DHS funding, including requiring immigration agents to wear body cameras and visible identification, banning masks, prohibiting racial profiling and mandating judicial warrants before arrests on private property. Congress adjourned without approving DHS funding and is not expected to return until Feb. 23.
Homan, who said he is not part of DHS funding negotiations, called some Democratic demands "unreasonable." He argued that ICE detains and questions people based on reasonable suspicion and that current federal law does not require judicial warrants for certain enforcement actions. "If Congress wants that change, then Congress can legislate," he said, adding that ICE is acting within existing federal statutes.
In a separate Face the Nation interview, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would not relent, insisting "dramatic change" is required before any DHS funding bill moves forward. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, urged Republicans who have voiced concerns about ICE to take stronger action.
Reporting on the surge in assaults and threats has lacked clear public sourcing and timeframes; that caveat remains important as lawmakers debate oversight and funding reforms for border agencies.
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