Skip to main content

‘I’m not satisfied’: US border czar says he’s ‘not going to rest’ until illegal immigration goals are met

Gov. DeSantis held a roundtable with the border czar and other officials in Sarasota

SARASOTA, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held an immigration roundtable with President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, and other officials Thursday morning in Sarasota.

RELATED | Gov. DeSantis touts successes of immigration enforcement programs, hopes other states will catch on | ‘Jacksonville is not a sanctuary city’: Bill on illegal immigration enforcement heading to full council vote

Officials discussed a variety of immigration-related topics during Thursday’s panel discussion, from the Alien Enemies Act to birthright citizenship and the efforts to tackle illegal immigration in the country.

Homan also highlighted the decline in border crossings and the rise of detentions of people who live in the country illegally since Trump took office. However, he said there is still work that needs to be done.

“I’m not satisfied,” Homan said .”We’re not going to rest. I’m not going to sleep well at night, until every public safety threat illegal alien is eradicated in this country, that’s when we’ll relax.”

Press play above to watch a segment of Thursday’s roundtable

During the roundtable, DeSantis praised Florida’s efforts in tackling illegal immigration and reiterated the importance of local entities cooperating with state and federal agencies to achieve their goals.

MORE | Gov. DeSantis urges local, state agencies to get ‘ready, willing and able to assist’ with Trump’s immigration policies

“If these local governments are not being part of the solution, we got a lot of tools, including suspension from office, that we can do,” DeSantis said. “We’re working with Tom and his team on some additional operations. We’ve been doing a lot in Florida, but you’re going to see a lot more that’s going to happen over the next weeks and months.”

Officials also discussed the need for permanent legislation to ensure that efforts to combat illegal immigration will continue regardless of who is in office.

“The amount of action that the Trump administration has done in these 50 or 60 days has been unprecedented. I hope that continues for the next three and a half years. I hope we don’t slow down. I think there’s so much change that can be done, not only at the border, not only about removing individuals but also on that legal side,” AFPI Center for Homeland Security & Immigration VP Chad Wolf said.


About the Author
Marcela Camargo headshot

Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.