Trump’s top immigration enforcement official, Tom Homan, is vowing to ensure the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member and accused violent offender, saying on Fox News’ Hannity Wednesday night that the administration will not back down — no matter the legal resistance.
“He’s a significant public safety threat,” Homan declared. “He’s a gang member, designated terrorist, and he’s been ordered removed by two different federal judges… I got my teeth in this thing, I’m not letting it go.”
The strong remarks came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a blistering statement earlier in the day, labeling Abrego Garcia a “gang member, human trafficker, wife beater, child predator, and criminal illegal alien.” Noem’s department has been working closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Trump’s newly formed Office for the Eradication of Transnational Criminals to prioritize high-threat deportations like this one.
Asylum Claim Sparks Outrage
Despite multiple deportation orders, Abrego Garcia is attempting to delay his removal by filing an asylum claim. His attorneys argue that returning to his home country would place him in danger — a claim that Trump officials, legal experts, and immigration hardliners alike are dismissing as legally weak and politically motivated.
“His lawyer is arguing that he’ll be unsafe if he returns,” host Sean Hannity noted. “But isn’t he unsafe to all of us if he stays?”
Homan agreed, calling the asylum claim “a stall tactic” and arguing that Abrego Garcia is both ineligible and undeserving of asylum protection.
“He’s well beyond the one-year filing requirement for asylum,” Homan explained. “And there is zero evidence that he faces persecution on the grounds of race, religion, or political opinion — which is the legal standard for asylum under U.S. law.”
Two Judges, Two Deportation Orders
According to Homan, two separate federal judges have already issued removal orders against Abrego Garcia, citing his criminal background and affiliations with the violent transnational gang MS-13. ICE has also linked him to ongoing human trafficking operations, and federal prosecutors have reportedly secured indictments related to alien smuggling and online solicitation of minors.
“If the judge rules based on the law, he’s gone,” Homan said. “He doesn’t qualify for asylum, and the American people deserve to be protected from individuals like him.”
Political Will and Legal Pressure
President Donald Trump has long made MS-13 deportations a cornerstone of his immigration policy, referring to members as “animals” in previous terms. Under his second administration, immigration enforcement has been re-energized, particularly in high-profile cases like Abrego Garcia’s.
Homan, a longtime Trump ally and former acting ICE director, has taken a more public-facing role this term as the administration’s “Border Czar,” frequently appearing in media to reassure the public that Trump’s immigration promises are being delivered — even in the face of legal opposition and activist outcry.
“We’re done playing games,” Homan said. “The days of criminals exploiting our asylum system are over. If you break our laws and endanger our citizens, you will be removed — period.”
What’s Next
Though Homan’s office is confident in Abrego Garcia’s imminent deportation, the final decision rests with an immigration judge who is expected to rule within the next few weeks. Trump officials remain optimistic, and Homan is making it clear he’s personally invested.
“He will be deported from this country,” Homan emphasized. “I made a promise to this administration and to the American people. I intend to keep it.”
As the Trump administration ramps up deportations, the Abrego Garcia case could become a test of both the president’s resolve and the federal judiciary’s resistance to it.
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