President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that he did not know the “exact charge” supporting the continued detention of Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil.
“I can just tell you what my discussions have been with it, is that it’s a direct violation of our foreign policy objectives,” he said.
Homan’s comments about the controversial arrest came in response to questions from the New York Public News Network during his stop in Albany.
“When you hand out leaflets, incite violence on a college campus, that's illegal,” he said. “Being in this country with a visa or a resident alien card is a privilege, and you got to follow certain rules. Resident aliens get removed all the time when they commit certain crimes.”
Homan joined state Republicans to rally support for legislation undercutting the state’s sanctuary cities and to lambast state Democrats’ immigration policies.
“New York state, you gotta change your sanctuary status,” said Homan, who is from the North Country. “If you don’t, get out the way, because we’re going to do our job.”
Homan directed his stern message at Gov. Kathy Hochul, who he said impeded on public safety efforts in New York City.
“What’s one of the first things she (does)? She’s down in New York City and tries to fire the mayor who wants to help me fight public safety threats,” Homan said regarding New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The embattled mayor faced corruption charges until they were dropped by the Department of Justice because they said he was working to enforce Trump’s immigration policies.Hochul considered but did not pursue efforts to remove Adams, but instead is seeking to limit his authority and increase oversight. Hochul and Adams have not weighed in on Khalil’s arrest.
Homan visited Albany with two policy objectives in mind – namely to support state Republicans’ efforts to pass Laken’s Law, which would require local officials to notify federal agents when someone who is undocumented gets arrested. The bill, if passed, would effectively repeal sanctuary city policies in New York.
Homan also took issue with the state’s Green Light Law, which lets undocumented immigrants obtain drivers licenses. The law also blocks the Department of Homeland Security from accessing state DMV records.
“If we can’t have data to help us support a criminal investigation ... then that community is at risk,” Homan said. “You're not just putting your officers at risk, you’re putting your community at risk. And I'm done with it.”
The Trump administration sued Hochul, the state Department of Motor Vehicles and New York Attorney General Letitia James over the law last month.
In a statement, Hochul spokesperson Avi Small wrote in response to Homan’s comments, “Governor Hochul has been clear with New Yorkers: She supports secure borders and deporting violent criminals, but won't let New York help the Trump Administration tear babies away from their parents.”
Hochul decried the lawsuit when it was filed, saying that federal immigration officials can access DMV records with a judicial warrant under the Green Light Law.
“That's a common-sense approach that most New Yorkers support,” Hochul said in the statement. “But there's no way I'm letting federal agents, or Elon Musk's shadowy DOGE operation, get unfettered access to the personal data of any New Yorker in the DMV system like 16-year-old kids learning to drive and other vulnerable people."
Two dozen protestors swarmed the Capitol hallway as Homan left the news conference, shouting, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!”
Homan seemed unfazed and walked through the crowd while eating a red apple.
