Border Czar Tom Homan clashed with CBS News host Margaret Brennan over Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operations, recent officer-involved shootings in Maine and Houston, and the question about unmarked police vehicles. The latter was silly since unmarked police cars aren’t new, as Homan pointed out. Regarding the new bodycam rule, it could’ve been implemented months ago, but Democrats chose to play politics with the Department of Homeland Security’s funding. Don’t try to play games with Trump’s top officials. They understand the liberal media’s tendencies, and they will call them out.
Here’s the transcript of the exchange:
🚨 JUST IN: Tom Homan just EMBARRASSED Fake News Margaret Brennan to her face after she smeared ICE as secret police
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 19, 2026
BRENNAN: Well, the people who were chasing the [illegal] who died didn't have law enforcement markings, he didn't know! It just looked like a car coming after… pic.twitter.com/fFnbWgg5qY
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Homan, we saw that two immigrants were shot in the span of a week. There was that one in Maine that was fatal just days after another one in Houston. We also saw that man fleeing agents in Florida, who then was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer.
I know you've been trying to keep the department out of the headlines ever since that streak in Minnesota that was deadly. How do you respond to those who say, what's happening now looks like very little has changed?
TOM HOMAN: Well, you know, first of all, we'll wait and see what the investigations – how they play out, right. Because, you know, I don't want to get ahead of an investigation on who's at fault, what exactly happened because we all know, when these investigations happen, there's going to be cell phone video, there may be city cameras, and, of course, then you got witness statements and affidavits from the officer and witnesses. So, we've got to let the investigations play out. So I don't really want to comment on the investigations themselves.
But, you know, I think, you know, Markwayne Mullin, you know, took some action in concern of the safety of the agents and how we do operations and that's why he did that, you know, that pause on enforcement on vehicle stops.
But, you know, I – my concern is – I've never – I've done this since 1984. My concern is I think a lot of the rhetoric that you see every day, especially in sanctuary cities and at these protests that resist. Members of Congress saying ICE isn't a real law enforcement agency. I think that – I actually think that emboldens some people to say, I'm not going to comply with ICE. And I think no matter what people think of ICE, right, no matter what you think of immigration law, you should always comply with law enforcement.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. Yes. But in the shootings in both Houston and Maine, the people who were killed were not the intended targets. Have you caught the people you were actually looking for?
TOM HOMAN: One of them I believe we did. But, you know, that happens in law enforcement all the time. I mean we're working, you know, you get leads on individuals and you say, OK, well this subject lives at this house, he drives this car. And when that subject leaves the house, you know, 6:00 in the morning, and someone gets in that car from that house, you know, they assume, OK, this guys and they'll do a vehicle stop. And depending on when they make that stop and that person complies, either they're going to be arrested or released. That's the way it's supposed to be.
So, you know, law enforcement deals with mis identity every day across the country, not just ICE, every law enforcement agency. I was a cop. I know – I know that happens.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. But these were fatal shootings, of course, in Houston and in Maine. And in Houston, it was an unmarked car. So, when you're saying, don't resist, these individuals who were chasing the man who died, they didn't have markings on that vehicle that would allow for him to know that they were ICE. It just looked like a car coming after them in the videos.
TOM HOMAN: No. They have emergency lights. Officers have insignia. So, when they get out of that car and approach the car, you can clearly see they're law enforcement officers. They can't – this is – these people –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, in the video that has been public, it's not a marked car.
TOM HOMAN: These people – I'm not saying it's a marked car, but they have emergency lights and sirens. So, when they pull someone over, they're going to activate their emergency lights. A lot of – a lot of police departments – I'm in New York City right now. A lot of NYPD officers are driving unmarked vehicles. And that helps them find people that don't want to be found, right?
So, you know, but bottom line is, we'll see when the investigation plays out, but they'd be alive today if they simply complied with a vehicle stopped by federal law enforcement. Just comply.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
TOM HOMAN: You can – if you don't think you're being treated right and had no reason to stop you, then there's avenues to take them to court. Just sue. Get a lawyer and argue in court.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the family of the man in Houston said they – he thought he was being robbed because it was an unmarked vehicle. Not that it was law enforcement at all.
TOM HOMAN: They had emergency lights. They activate emergency lights. Blue lights. You know – you know, in my vehicle I drive where I'm with my security detail we have emergency lights.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You've seen that on video because we haven't?
TOM HOMAN: Seen what on video, ma'am?
MARGARET BRENNAN: That there were lights. Because in the videos that we've seen, there aren't. And because there weren't body cameras, it is hard to substantiate some of what you are saying.
TOM HOMAN: OK. OK. Well, I have not seen the videos.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
TOM HOMAN: But I'm saying, our vehicles are equipped with emergency lights. Now, if they didn't activate the lights, again, I haven't seen that video. If they didn't activate the lights, then there's an issue there, right?
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
TOM HOMAN: But I'm saying, they are equipped with lights. So, let me just caveat that. They should have been equipped with lights and sirens. So, I do not know specifically if they activated those lights.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
TOM HOMAN: But as far as the cameras, Margaret, you know, everybody in ICE would have a camera now if the government wasn't shut down by Democratic members of Congress. There was money in that bill that they held up.
Nicely handled, sir.