Major City Selected as Starting Point for Trump’s Mass Deportation Efforts
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 10, 2024
Alina Habba, set to serve as a key Oval Office counselor under President-elect Donald Trump, made a false claim on Tuesday by denying that family separations occurred during Trump’s first term, despite documented evidence to the contrary. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Her remarks came a day after Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming “border czar,” admitted that family separations “may happen” again under the new administration. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
At a GOP holiday party in Chicago on Monday evening, Homan stated, “I’m not looking to separate families at all. That’s not my goal. My goal is to enforce the law, but if you put yourself in that position, it may happen.” Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Despite this acknowledgment, Habba refuted the possibility of separations while speaking to Bill Hemmer on Fox News' America’s Newsroom. “Nobody is breaking up families, nobody is targeting individuals and making sure that one over the other goes out,” she said. “That doesn’t happen under President Trump, it didn’t happen before.” Jasper Colt-USA TODAY
However, this claim contradicts established facts. According to a New York magazine report earlier this year, approximately 2,000 children who were separated from their families during Trump’s first term remain unreunited out of the 5,000 initially separated. Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia
Trump has doubled down on his hardline immigration policies, pledging to deport millions of migrants and even suggesting the use of U.S. Armed Forces on domestic soil to carry out these operations. Homan reinforced this stance at the Chicago event, revealing that the mass deportation initiative will commence in the city. “We’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois,” he announced.
In a speech laced with inflammatory remarks, Homan criticized local leadership, saying, “Chicago’s in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks.” This comment reportedly elicited cheers from the Republican audience. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Wikimedia
Regarding Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Homan warned, “If he doesn’t want to help, get the hell out of the way. But if he impedes us—if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien—I will prosecute him.” While calling for cooperation, Homan simultaneously labeled both Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker as “terrible,” urging them to negotiate with his office. Segagustin / Wikimedia
