Tom Homan - Defend the Border and Save Lives: Solving Our Most Important Humanitarian and Security Crisis

There were 4,158 child exploitation cases initiated in 2018, and 1,588 criminal arrests for human trafficking.

2018 H OMELAND S ECURITY INVESTIGATIONS

31.4 percent of women and 17.2 percent of men have been sexually abused during their journey to the United States border.

2017 D OCTORS WITHOUT B ORDERS REPORT

D uring my law enforcement career, which spans over three decades, I was part of a team of men and women who were deeply respected. Most Americans acknowledged the job as necessary and dangerous. But in the past few years, Ive been labeled as heartless, a racist, and even a Naziand thats just by some Democrats in Congress.

Human traffickers, drug dealers, and criminals of all types never called me such names. Ive arrested thousands of illegal aliens, and the vast majority of them respected the power of the badge because they knew we had an army of badges. Many actually feared the badge because they were so accustomed to police corruption in their homeland.

Whether people realize it or not, every country and every community depends on a clear set of laws and the brave people who help enforce the law. Its on behalf of those amazing men and womenlocal, state, and federalthat I offer my perspective on the most pressing issues facing the United States: border security, public safety, and immigration.

But its not only about the law; its really about whatand whothe law protects.

In early 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This department and agency were established because of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, given that many of the perpetrators were in this country illegally. Our citizens wanted to better secure our borders and enforce our nations immigration laws. ICE was created out of the legacy US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) law enforcement components and the legacy US Customs (USC) law enforcement component. Sorry to give you four acronyms in one paragraph, but it gives you a sense of the challenge I was up againsthelping the two legacy agencies transition into the new, post-9/11 world.

In March 2003, I was sent to Washington, DC, as part of a team transitioning and creating the agenciesand frankly, trying to make sense of it all. You cant imagine the tangle of policies and personnel involved. Ill spare you the details, but there was much distrust between the personnel of both agencies and a lot of jockeying for power. It was a very tense time. However, we tried to make it work because, at this point in our nation, combining two border law enforcement agencies into one was the right thing to do.

While on extended detail to ICE headquarters in DC, I was asked to travel to Dallas on May 13 to join Bob Wallis, who was the acting special agent in charge, at the time. Yes, we like acronyms and refer to that title as SAC. Bob Wallis was a legacy INS senior leader and also my longtime mentor. At one point in his career, he was the leader of one third of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It was a huge job, and he was good at it. I was most excited about the trip because it was another chance to see my wife and kids. Dallas was my home station, and Id been on detail to DC for several months, able to return home only every couple of weeks.