In an exclusive appearance on The Alex Marlow Show podcast, President Donald Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan opened up about the deeply personal reasons driving his dedication to securing America’s southern border.
Homan, a career law enforcement officer, discussed the human and social consequences he has witnessed over his decades-long tenure in immigration enforcement.
Homan began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol in 1984, later rising to become the first ICE director to ascend through the Department of Homeland Security ranks.
Over the course of more than 35 years, he has worked under six U.S. presidents, earning a reputation as a nonpartisan figure respected for his commitment to public safety.
Returning to government service under Trump, Homan has faced intense scrutiny and criticism from opponents of the administration’s immigration policies.
Despite the threats and personal sacrifices, Homan emphasized that his sense of duty outweighed the risks, the Conservative Brief reported.
“I don’t care,” he said when asked about the daily attacks.
“This is the second time I came out of retirement for the president. It’s hard to say no to the president of the United States and help him fix something where thousands of lives have been lost.” Homan also noted the toll on his family, explaining he has been separated from them for months due to security concerns. “But my family understands the important mission,” he said.
Homan recounted the harrowing experiences that have shaped his resolve. Among them were encounters with children as young as nine who had been sexually assaulted by cartel operatives, and the discovery of 19 migrants who had died in a tractor-trailer while being smuggled into the U.S.
“When I arrived at that crime scene, several bodies had already hit the ground. When the doors finally opened, people rushed out for air, and some of the dead were pushed aside in the chaos. I saw a little boy, only five years old, dead, with his father cradling him on top,” Homan said.
He described the scene as one that underscored the deadly consequences of unchecked human smuggling and cartel violence.
For Homan, these experiences are not abstract statistics—they are the driving force behind his work.
“If you wore my shoes for three and a half decades, you wouldn’t ask that question,” he said. “You’d see the tragedy I’ve seen, and it would shape who you are today.” He described his return to government service as an opportunity to save lives and prevent further tragedies at the border.
Throughout the interview, Homan conveyed a mixture of professional dedication and personal heartbreak. His stories highlighted both the human cost of illegal immigration and the stakes involved in securing America’s borders.
He concluded by reiterating his unwavering commitment to the mission, emphasizing that the lives of the most vulnerable—children and families caught in the crossfire—are central to his efforts.
