Incoming border czar Homan to join Texas Gov. Abbott at key border point, serve meals to troops
Incoming border czar Tom Homan will join Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday at a key border area in Texas, and will serve meals to troops stationed there over Thanksgiving – ahead of what is expected to be significant cooperation between the Trump administration and Abbott’s team next year.
Homan and Abbott will greet and serve meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Homan was appointed "border czar" by President-elect Trump this month after Trump’s election win.
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"I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job," Trump said on Truth Social.
Homan, a former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, will be one of the most high-profile figures in terms of the mass deportation operation the incoming administration has planned.
Abbott, meanwhile, has clashed repeatedly with the Biden administration over border security as his state bore the brunt of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border.
Abbott caused controversy by bussing migrants to "sanctuary" cities like New York City, Chicago and others as a way to relieve the pressure on the state. His administration has also built its own border wall, set up buoys in the Rio Grande and deployed troops to provide additional border security.
Abbott, a Republican, is likely to find an alliance with the incoming administration with aligned views on additional border security, the ending of "catch-and-release" and tougher penalties on those entering the U.S. illegally. Speaking on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, Homan said the incoming administration is not waiting until Jan 20 to get to work.
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"We're already planning what we're going to do to lock down the state of Texas," he said. "Gov. Abbott's in a great job so far. Illegal crossings in Texas are down over 80% because of the great work by Gov. Abbott, and he's been successful because he has taken the Trump policies and put them to work."
"We're going to partner up and help him do 100% security on his border, and we're going to do that across the southwest border," he said.
On Monday, Abbott announced that Texas recently installed more buoy barriers in the Rio Grande.
"Texas continues our historic border security mission to stop illegal entry and safeguard our nation," he said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
"We’ll use every tool and strategy available to hold the line," he said.
Later Monday, he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he was thankful for the incoming administration and the role Homan will play in it.
"I’m thankful that we have Tom Homan as the incoming border czar who is going to help execute those laws and enforce those laws and make sure that we get back to restoring order."