Border czar Tom Homan taunts New York Gov. Kathy Hochul with threats of ICE surge
Tom Homan, President Trump's border czar, is increasing his attacks on Gov. Kathy Hochul, threatening, yet again, to surge more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into New York.
And with the World Cup just days away, there's concern it could scare visitors away.
Homan seeing red over N.Y. anti-ICE legislation
Ever since Hochul signed anti-ICE legislation on May 29, she has been caught in Homan's cross hairs. He has been on something of a media tour, launching broadsides against the governor and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on multiple platforms.
"We're going to surge resources in New York. We have to. We have to," Homan said.
Homan upped the ante just days before the first World Cup match at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. He has been especially upset about two provisions of the new laws in New York -- one that bans ICE agents from wearing masks and another that prevents the NYPD and local law enforcement agencies from signing cooperation agreements with ICE, pacts known as a 287G agreements.
"Hochul signed legislation that ended our 287G agreements, where one agent can arrest one bad guy turned over by a jail. Now we've got to send a whole team to look for that guy. So, she took the efficiencies of the jails away and the 287G agreement. So, it's only ... it's math," Homan said.
ICE and the World Cup
Regarding the World Cup, Homan was asked about a Somali referee who has been denied entry to the United States.
"I'm not familiar with that case," Homan said.
Between 2 million and 5 million international visitors are expected to come to the U.S. for the World Cup, with many bound for New York. Some of the decisions made by the feds worry Mamdani.
"Be it the denial of visas for journalists from certain countries or the rejection of a visa for a coach of a team, as well as single-day visas for specific foreign national teams, this is anathema to what this tournament is supposed to be," Mamdani said.
Gov. Hochul on battle footing
It's still unclear when more ICE agents will be sent to New York, but a spokesperson for Hochul told CBS News New York the governor is looking into whether a surge could happen during the World Cup.
Hochul's office also referred to a warning that the Trump administration will pay a political price in November if it surges ICE agents in New York.
"If they come here and go throughout New York State with a surge in ICE, there won't be a Republican standing in this state. This would be weaponized against them," Hochul said on Monday.
