Tom Homan, the White House border czar, has dismissed allegations that federal immigration agents are racially profiling suspected illegal immigrants.
This comes in response to CNN's Dana Bash's implication that immigration agents are targeting individuals based on their skin color.
According to Western Journal, the Trump administration recently initiated a significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minnesota's Twin Cities. This operation saw the deployment of approximately 100 federal agents into Minneapolis and St. Paul, with the primary objective being to target illegal Somali nationals who have received final deportation orders.
Homan, appearing on "State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash," refuted Bash's claim that Somali individuals were being singled out and interrogated solely based on their physical appearance.
Homan firmly stated, "No, they're not. You know, the law requires agents are trained to Fourth Amendment training every six months. Border Patrol is trained in Fourth Amendment training." He further clarified that agents are permitted to detain and question individuals for a brief period based on reasonable suspicion. When Bash inquired whether this suspicion was appearance-based, Homan was quick to assert that a person's race or appearance alone could never meet the legal threshold for reasonable suspicion.
Homan further explained, "Their appearance alone can't raise reasonable suspicion. It's articulable facts, a lot of different facts taking consideration, and the Supreme Court just backed the Trump administration up on this." He added that the Supreme Court's decision was not an endorsement of racial profiling, but rather an agreement with the operational methods employed by ICE and the Border Patrol, which adhere to the standard of reasonable suspicion.
In September 2025, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, stayed a district court injunction that had limited certain federal immigration enforcement operations. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that the lower court had wrongly prevented officers from making investigative stops based on factors such as location, type of work, language, or apparent race or ethnicity.
The aggressive ICE operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul were launched amidst President Donald Trump's escalating rhetoric about Somalis in the United States. As reported by The New York Times, federal prosecutors are currently investigating fraud cases involving over $1 billion in taxpayer funds, allegedly stolen from state and federal social services programs. These programs were designed to provide food for low-income children and care for autistic patients.
As of the time of reporting, authorities have secured 59 fraud convictions related to COVID-era feeding programs, housing assistance, and autism therapy services. Approximately 86 individuals have been charged in the scheme, with all but eight being of Somali ancestry.
The Trump administration's response to the Somali welfare scandal has been criticized by Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a "PR stunt." This criticism comes despite state officials blaming Walz for a "cascade of systemic failures" after he allegedly disregarded laws designed to expose fraud.
President Trump also criticized Walz in a Nov. 27 Truth Social post, accusing him of failing to prevent Somalis from misappropriating and misusing taxpayer funds.
Login