Border czar: ICE to 'flood' cities that refuse to work with feds

In response to New York legislation that would bar local police departments and jails from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homan said he will "flood the zone" with more immigration officers in that state.

"You ain't seen (expletive) yet," Homan said May 5 at the 2026 Border Security Expo at the downtown Phoenix Convention Center. "You will see more ICE agents than you've ever seen before, so congratulations."

Homan made the threat during his opening remarks at the border exposition, an annual event that brought together hundreds of leaders from across local law enforcement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and private enterprise to create partnerships in enhancing border security and safety along the borderlands.

The annual Border Security Expo came nearly a year after Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on July 1.

The law allocated billions of dollars into border security and immigration enforcement to meet the Trump administration's goal of mass deportations of people who entered the United States illegally and to complete the border wall along the southern border with Mexico.

ICE is enforcing the laws enacted by Congress, Homan says

During his speech in Phoenix, Homan lambasted the U.S. media and local lawmakers for vilifying immigration officers.

"And for any member of Congress to compare them to the Nazis or racists is ... the ultimate insult. Because if we're Nazis for enforcing immigration law, what does that make you? You wrote the law," Homan said. "We're just doing what you wrote. We're enforcing the laws that you enacted and were signed by the president. And we're not going to apologize for doing it."

Homan said the claims that there were immigration detentions at sensitive locations such as churches, schools and hospitals are "(expletive)."

The Arizona Republic was unable to immediately confirm if immigration officers have detained people on church, school and hospital grounds.

However, there have been recent reports across the country of students as young as 5 years old detained by ICE; ICE dragging a man out of a medical center where he was being treated after a "scuffle" during his detention; and people detained by ICE outside of churches.

"Let me be clear: If you're a significant public safety threat or national security threat, you have no sanctuary in this nation. You can't hide anywhere if you are a national security threat. We're going to go, we're going to find you, and we're going to arrest you," Homan said.

Homan warned that states that passed legislation that bars their local police departments and jails from working for ICE will see an "increase in collateral arrests" of undocumented people who are caught up in targeted operations.

"You will see more agents in your neighborhoods, because you forced us into this position," Homan said. "I don't want to hear this crap from these mayors and governors saying, well, we're a sanctuary because we're a welcoming community. We want illegal alien victims and witnesses of crime to feel safe coming to law enforcement to report crimes. That's just a line of (expletive)."