Border Czar Tom Homan rejects Democrats' calls for ICE agents to remove their masks

Source: The Independent

Thursday 26 March 2026 16:15 EDT


Border Czar Tom Homan said Thursday he would not support Democrats’ demand for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to remove masks while on the job as part of negotiations to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

Homan, who is also overseeing the deployment of ICE, forcefully pushed back on the policy, claiming congressional Democrats, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are making ICE officers more unsafe by wanting them to remain maskless. “You want us to take off the mask? Well, you know what, no, we’re not. That’s one of the things the Hill keeps pushing for in negotiations,” Homan told WABC’s Cats & Cosby.

Democrats have been locked in a battle with Senate Republicans and the White House over DHS funding for more than 40 days. Before agreeing to reopen the department, Democrats want more regulations for immigration enforcement, such as prohibiting masks and requiring judicial warrants.

But Homan and Republicans argue that allowing ICE officers to mask up is necessary so they can protect themselves while aggressively carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/tom-homan-ice-masks-democrats-dhs-shutdown-b2946504.html