President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan addressed a reporter who asked him about an illegal immigrant being arrested in front of his teen daughter at a bus stop and reminded him that the law is the bottom line.
“Do you believe ICE should be arresting parents in front of their children at school bus stops?” a reporter asked Homan, pointing to an incident that occurred in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in May.
According to a statement at the time, the father arrested was Javier Anibal Melgar, who hails from El Salvador. He entered the U.S. illegally more than 20 years ago, on May 9, 2005. He was ordered by an immigration judge to be deported on October 6, 2005, but he remained in the U.S. for over two decades.
“He illegally remained in the United States for over 20 years in violation of U.S. law,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.
Homan asked the reporter if the individual referenced was in the country illegally.
“He was in the country illegally for 20 years, but did not commit any other crimes while in the interior of the United States,” the reporter said, and Homan asked again if the man was in the U.S. “in violation of the law.”
The reporter instead asked if the man “should he be arrested in front of his 16-year-old daughter at the school bus stop.”
“Here’s the issue: If the message you want to send to the whole world [is], ‘Enter the country illegally. It’s a crime but it’s ok. If you get an order of removal, ignore it.’ No, no. ‘Have a U.S citizen child and you’re good to go? The law means nothing anymore,'” Homan said, asking if that is the message the United States wants to send to the whole world.
“Have a U.S. citizen child and you’re off the table. That’s a message you want to send the whole world. The most vulnerable people put themselves in harm’s way, like under the Biden administration, four thousand aliens died making that journey. …. If you’re in the country illegally, you’ve got a problem,” Homan told the reporter.
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ICE has continued to arrest illegal aliens across the country, triggering protests from open borders leftists. Recently, ICE made dozens of arrests in Danbury, Connecticut, prompting an outcry.
However, Homan defended the action, noting that law enforcement is looking for “illegal aliens with final orders of removal, those who overstay — those are criminals and we’re out there looking for them and arresting them.”
“ICE has no intention of terrorizing children. That is just a political statement, you know, to enrage the American people,” he said.
The Democrat-led Danbury city council retaliated by voting 18-2 to allow some non-citizens – including lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients – to serve on their police force.
“…the Danbury City Council sent a clear message: immigrants are welcome in Danbury,” Democrat city council member Joe Britton said.
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