(NewsNation) — White House border czar Tom Homan is making one thing abundantly clear in the aftermath of an off-duty federal agent being shot — he’s had enough with these kinds of incidents.
Homan, in a Monday appearance on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” said everyone has seen videos of undocumented migrants in Times Square attacking NYPD officers and United States citizens.
“It’s enough. I mean, criminal aliens have no place walking the streets of America, attacking American citizens,” Homan said.
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He’s calling for ICE to “flood the zone” after an unnamed officer, 42, was shot in the face while sitting on a rock with a woman at Fort Washington Park in New York City just before midnight on July 19.
Video released by the Department of Homeland Security showed two men on a moped approach the officer and his companion. The moped passenger tried to rob the off-duty officer but the officer pulled out his service gun, leading to a shootout.
The officer was shot in the face and forearm, police said. Homan visited him at the hospital and said the officer remained sedated as of Monday night. He is expected to survive. One of the men was taken into custody after arriving at a Bronx hospital with gunshot wounds to the groin and leg.
Suspects’ criminal record
The alleged shooter, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, was caught at the Arizona border in 2023 when he crossed over illegally. Nunez also had an active deportation order, but was released on his own recognizance, according to Homan.
ICE arrested the second suspect, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, who also entered the U.S. illegally from the Dominican Republic in 2022 and has a criminal record in New York City.
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Under Biden, authorities “released millions into the United States without proper vetting,” Homan claimed on Monday night.
“The shooter and his accomplice both entered under the Biden administration. Both were released. Both are criminals. … And this is why President Trump came into office. And the first thing we did under President Trump’s leadership, we ended catch and release.
“The law is clear. Federal law is clear: When you come to our border illegally and you don’t have proper documentation, enter, the law says you shall be detained.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday blamed Mayor Eric Adams and sanctuary city policies for the shooting. But Homan feels there’s far more to the problem.
“Politics is why we’re in a position we’re in,” he said. “People put politics over public safety. And every sanctuary city does it.
“New York, LA, Chicago, I mean, it just goes on and on and on. So bottom line is, sanctuaries are sanctuary for criminals.”
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Homan said federal agents are going to “flood the zone” after New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he welcomes agents to the city to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“Bottom line, President Trump and myself have been saying from day one, our priorities are public safety threats and national security threats,” Homan said. “That’s what we’re focusing on.”
Officials said Monday they expect to bring federal charges against Mora Nunez and Aybar-Berroa.
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