TAMPA, FL – Former ICE director and Trump administration border czar Tom Homan delivered a fiery speech Saturday night at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, promising an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration and dismissing critics in blunt terms.
“Tom Homan is going to run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen. Take it to the bank,” Homan declared, to thunderous chants of “U-S-A” from the crowd.
The address briefly turned confrontational when a heckler interrupted Homan, asking if he was “an MS-13 member.” The individual was quickly removed by security, prompting Homan to fire back with even harsher words.
“This guy lives in his mother’s basement,” Homan said. “The only thing that surprised me is he didn’t have purple hair and a nose ring. Get out of here, you loser.”
‘Come Get Some’
Homan used the moment to address growing protests against ICE, many of which have escalated in the wake of President Trump’s recently signed immigration overhaul.
“To all the anti-ICE protesters outside or across this country — you want some? Come get some,” he said. “I’m tired of it. For the men and women of ICE, I demand your respect. They’re the finest 1% this country has. And I’m not going anywhere.”
As chants resumed in support of his remarks, Homan doubled down on his no-apologies stance.
“Sometimes I’m harsh,” he said at the start of his speech. “If I offend anybody tonight, I don’t give a s—.”
Pushing Back Against Critics
The former acting ICE director defended federal immigration officers, saying they’ve been unfairly demonized by political opponents and activists.
“The people protesting ICE don’t have the guts to wear a badge and do this job,” Homan said. “We’ve never seen this level of hate directed at law enforcement.”
Homan accused Democrats and the media of spreading misinformation and said immigration agents remain undeterred by rising hostility.
“We’re going to do the job that President Trump gave us to do,” he said.
Protests Across the Country
While Homan said he was surprised not to see protesters when he arrived at the venue, demonstrators lined the streets outside earlier in the day holding signs like “No ICE on campus!” and denouncing Trump’s immigration agenda.
The protests follow a series of confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents, including riots in Los Angeles and ambushes targeting ICE officers in Texas since Trump signed his “big, beautiful bill” into law last week.
That bill, passed just before the July 4 deadline, includes sweeping changes to immigration enforcement and has reignited debates nationwide.
Trump’s Border Legacy
Homan closed his remarks by praising Trump’s border policies and contrasting them with those of his predecessor.
“Under his leadership, we got the most secure border in U.S. history — and we did it in seven weeks,” Homan said. “President Trump did in seven weeks what Joe Biden couldn’t or wouldn’t do in four years.”
