Border Czar Tom Homan announced Thursday he will deploy additional federal immigration enforcement resources to Virginia following newly elected Governor Abigail Spanberger’s executive orders limiting state cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Speaking on a podcast, Homan stated his intention to counter Spanberger’s first-day executive actions, saying cooperation between his office and the new administration “doesn’t look good.”
Spanberger signed multiple executive orders on her first day in office, with the most contentious reducing Virginia’s coordination with ICE operations as part of resistance to President Trump’s immigration enforcement measures.
“I said it from Day 1: the thousands of agents we’re bringing on – we’re going to flood sanctuary cities,” Homan stated during the interview.
“We have to because you created a problem when you released some public safety threats in the streets,” he added.
The border czar pledged to allocate additional enforcement personnel to Virginia in response to what he characterized as the new administration making federal operations more difficult.
Homan indicated that governors sharing Spanberger’s approach “set the stage” but federal agents will continue their mission regardless, pointing to similar situations in New York, California, Oregon and Illinois.
“They’re not going to stop us,” he said.
“They can stand on the sidelines and watch. Shame on them, but they’re not going to stop us from doing this mission.”
The border czar explained that state cooperation significantly streamlines federal enforcement operations.
“If they work with us — I mean, one agent can arrest one illegal alien in a county jail,” he said.
“Give us access to the person that you locked in a jail cell, and they’re in the country illegally. When you’re done, you give them to us,” Homan continued.
“That’s the most efficient way to do it. But when you are knowingly going to release public safety threats in the community, now we’ve got to send a whole team out looking for them.”
As a Virginia resident himself, Homan expressed particular disappointment with Spanberger, echoing conservative criticism that her campaign presented a more moderate image than her governing actions suggest.
“I remember her campaign ads. ‘I’m a law enforcement officer. I rescued children from sex trafficking.’ I’ve seen the commercials,” Homan said.
“So, first day in office, she stops being a law enforcement officer and became a politician because where’s all those commercials you did about supporting law enforcement and rescuing kids?” he questioned.
Homan referenced Trump administration figures showing 130,000 missing children have been located, many allegedly victims of sex trafficking and forced labor.
“We’re looking for these missing children. We’re arresting criminal aliens, many of them like just [in] the last two weeks in Minnesota. A lot of them were sexual predators of children. Child rape,” he said.
“Where’s she gone? I mean, she’s a different person than what she ran on,” Homan added.
Despite acknowledging Spanberger’s background as a CIA officer before her political career, Homan expressed doubt about future collaboration.
“I hope we can work together, but it doesn’t look good,” Homan said.
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Spanberger won a decisive victory in November over sitting Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, becoming Virginia’s first female governor and succeeding Glenn Youngkin.
Her win, alongside Mikie Sherrill’s victory in New Jersey, provided momentum for Democrats in an increasingly competitive political landscape.
Conservative reaction to Spanberger’s opening week has been sharply critical.
The Daily Mail reported earlier this week that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, currently investigating anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota, wrote: “She’s like a Bond villain.”
The Lepanto Institute compared Spanberger to the White Witch from the Narnia series, writing: “A long winter without Christmas has come to Virginia.”
Spectator at Large Editor Ben Domenech added: “It’s like the CIA built the perfect Karen in a lab.”
Beyond immigration enforcement, Spanberger signed an executive order prohibiting employment discrimination “to foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and mutual respect for all Virginians.”
Conservative journalist Greg Price highlighted the Democratic legislature’s agenda, which includes sales taxes on Amazon and Uber Eats, new tax brackets, banning gas-powered leaf blowers, expanding ranked-choice voting and eliminating Columbus Day.
Democrats gained 13 House of Delegates seats, occurring one year after significant nationwide losses in the 2024 presidential election.
State Democrats have committed to working with Spanberger on their legislative priorities, including redrawing congressional district maps before this year’s midterm elections.
Spanberger defended her actions on social media, stating her executive orders “respond to the moment.”
“We’re setting the tone for what Virginians can expect over the next four years: pragmatic leadership focused on lowering costs, growing our economy, and making sure that every parent knows that their child is set up for success,” she said.
