Tom Homan’s low-profile deportations outpace Kristi Noem’s flash tactics

When President Donald Trump assigned Tom Homan to unwind the contentious DHS operation in Minneapolis, many on the right anticipated a softening of immigration enforcement. Instead, immigration arrests reached a second-term high of 43,000 in June and rose to 50,000 in July, while removals peaked at 34,000 that same month. Homan’s method avoids the flamboyant raids championed by former DHS head Kristi Noem, focusing on low-key tactics such as traffic stops, airport screenings and routine immigration check-ins.

Anti-ICE activists have complained that the enforcement now occurs quietly, making it harder for volunteer watchdogs to spot ICE activity. The surge follows a substantial $75 billion ICE funding package and aligns with ongoing operations targeting serious offenders, including the New York “Operation Rotten Apple” that has detained thousands of murderers, rapists and gang members. Experts note that while many apprehended individuals have not committed other crimes, immigration law still mandates detention for those with final removal orders, of which nearly half a million were issued in the first nine months of the fiscal year. Homan argues that a subdued, non-confrontational approach is more politically sustainable and effective at reducing the roughly 15 million-strong illegal immigrant population.