The Trump administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, said that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into the sources of funding for what he called “organized” attacks on federal immigration enforcement agents, amid escalating clashes in major so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
“You’ve got 300 people show up with the same masks, same shields, the same weapons. ... Are they all going to the same mini-mart and buying the same stuff? No, that’s being supplied to them. They’re being paid to do this,” he said.
Homan said DOJ officials “are all over this” and are working to identify those who may be financing organized riots targeting federal officers.
Asked whether prosecutors are weighing the use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) statutes, Homan declined to comment, citing internal deliberations.
“They will find out who is funding this, and they will be held accountable,” he said, adding that the riots are “absolutely organized.”
The unrest is a response to heightened immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump, who has promised to stem illegal immigration and authorized federal surges into jurisdictions with sanctuary policies.
“We’re out there enforcing the laws,” Homan said on The Alex Marlow Show.
“There’s no free pass here. If you’re here illegally, if you cross the border illegally, it’s a crime, and we’re looking for you.”
Homan added that national enforcement initiatives are meant to send a “strong message,” deter unlawful crossings, and reinforce that every illegal immigrant remains subject to removal.
State and local leaders, however, have accused the administration of staging confrontations for political effect.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whose state is seeking to block the federalization of National Guard units ordered to assist ICE, said the deployment of heavily equipped agents into urban areas is meant “to provoke something” rather than protect public safety.
“They’re wearing fatigues, they’re carrying long guns ... [in] downtown Chicago, [on] Michigan Avenue. What is the purpose of that? It’s all a show,” Pritzker said at an Oct. 9 news conference.
Pritzker said most protests in Illinois have been peaceful and accused federal agents of targeting minorities in immigrant neighborhoods.
“To just grab random people because of the way they look and demand that they prove their citizenship is just wrong. So we’re gonna push back at every turn,” he said.
In response to local leaders’ opposition, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials noted that their operations have resulted in a drop in apprehensions at the southwest border to the lowest level since 1970.
“Under President Trump, we have empowered and supported our law enforcement to do their job, and they have delivered.”
