WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump's new “border official” Tom Homan said on Saturday that targeted operations to detain immigrants who are in the United States illegally will begin next week, and indicated that they would include several cities.
Asked on Fox News whether deportation raids would be conducted in multiple cities, including Chicago, Homan said: “I wouldn't classify them as raids. There will be targeted enforcement.”
Asked how such operations would be received in so-called sanctuary cities, which have pledged not to use city resources for federal immigration raids, Homan suggested the incoming Trump administration would target city jails.
“We want to catch a bad guy in the safety and security of the county jail.”
A source told Reuters on Friday that New York and Miami would be targeted. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that ICE would carry out a week-long operation in Chicago with the participation of hundreds of potential agents.
Homan, the former acting director of ICE, said the agency plans its operations carefully.
“They (ICE agents) will know who is likely to be in the home, including children… Every target for this operation has been well planned, and the entire team will be there for officer safety reasons.”
In response to a question about when the mass deportation flights promised by Trump will begin next week, Homan was not specific.
“We have over 700,000 illegal aliens in the United States with final deportation orders. President Trump has been clear from day one…he will secure the border and get the deportation done.”
