Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar and former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sharply criticized Democrats calling for the abolition of ICE, arguing that the agency plays a critical role in protecting Americans and vulnerable migrants. In a Fox News appearance, Homan pointed to ICE operations involving unaccompanied migrant children, fentanyl seizures, and investigations targeting sex trafficking. His comments come as the political battle over immigration enforcement and the future of ICE continues to intensify.

Homan specifically cited the agency’s work in locating roughly 151,000 unaccompanied migrant children who had previously been considered unaccounted for. He argued that eliminating ICE would undermine an agency involved in identifying vulnerable children and pursuing criminal networks that exploit migrants. The issue has become a major flashpoint in Washington as Democrats and immigration activists continue debating whether ICE should be abolished or fundamentally restructured.

Homan also highlighted ICE’s role in drug enforcement, pointing to major fentanyl seizures as evidence of the agency’s broader national-security mission. He further emphasized investigations into sex trafficking and exploitation, arguing that immigration enforcement agencies can play an important role in disrupting criminal organizations that prey on vulnerable victims. Claims about fentanyl seizures being sufficient to kill the entire U.S. population multiple times are generally based on an estimated lethal dose and should be understood as a comparison rather than a direct measure of how many people would actually have died.

The comments come as the Trump administration continues making immigration enforcement and border security central priorities. ICE has faced growing political opposition, including demands from some Democrats and activists to abolish the agency, while the administration has defended expanded enforcement as necessary to remove dangerous criminals, disrupt trafficking networks, and strengthen national security. The debate has become increasingly heated as immigration policy remains one of the most divisive issues in American politics.

Homan’s remarks frame the dispute as a fundamental question over what role federal immigration enforcement should play in protecting the public. Supporters of ICE argue that the agency’s investigative and enforcement capabilities are essential to combating trafficking, drug smuggling, and other serious crimes, while opponents contend that its enforcement practices should be dramatically limited or replaced. As the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown, the fight over ICE is likely to remain at the center of the national political debate.