Meet the Hardliners Carrying Out Trump’s Immigration Policies

President-elect Donald Trump has made immigration a centerpiece of all three of his presidential campaigns — but this year, a newer promise took center stage: mass deportations. And from his early cabinet picks, it seems like he is gearing up to carry them out.

All of Trump’s picks for positions relating to immigration have been hardliners. The first selection was Tom Homan as border czar, overseeing the mass deportation effort that Trump promised to enforce. Homan was acting director of ICE during Trump’s first term.

Homan has made waves in the past for his bellicose statements and firm support for sending illegal migrants back to their countries of origin. In one viral video from a 2019 congressional hearing, he engaged with a testy Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who questioned why it was illegal for people to seek asylum in the United States. Homan pointed out that it’s unlawful to seek asylum anywhere outside of a port of entry.

In another exchange, he was asked by CBS’ 60 Minutes how to carry out mass deportations — which Homan has called for in the past — without separating families. His reply? “Families can be deported together.”

Another immigration hardliner joining the administration is Stephen Miller in the role of deputy chief of staff for policy, an extremely influential position for agenda-setting. Miller pushed for tough illegal immigration restrictions in Trump’s first term and helped design Trump’s travel ban.

Finally, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) was selected to lead the Department of Homeland Security. While South Dakota is not a border state, Noem was the first governor to send National Guard troops to Texas to help with migrant surges in 2021. Noem’s record suggests she will not be a roadblock to strong immigration enforcement.

When Trump entered the White House in 2017, his positions, such as the border wall, were new and controversial. Eight years later, they have received resounding public support. Multiple polls have found support for walls in the mid to high 50s, and a Gallup poll from earlier this year discovered that 55 percent of Americans — the most since 2001 — want immigration reduced.