The White House's "border czar," Tom Homan, has strongly defended the swift deportation of British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, which occurred just a day after his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Homan, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," insisted that Yiannopoulos, 41, was removed from the United States due to overstaying his visitor visa and failing to appear at an immigration hearing.
According to Homan, Yiannopoulos was issued a final order of removal on July 22. "He didn't show up," Homan explained. "The judge ordered him deported. So, once ICE gets an order of deportation from a federal judge, their job is to execute that order, and that's what they did."
The swift removal of Yiannopoulos, who was arrested in New Orleans, has raised questions about whether he received preferential treatment. Homan attributed the expedited process to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative aimed at speeding up deportations. "Once a judge orders them out, rather than being in detention, waiting for travel documents and flight arrangements, we – ICE, along with the border patrol and DHS – are working really good on the efficiencies of the removal process," Homan said.
He continued, "As soon as we get an order removal, our goal is to remove them as quick as possible, regardless of who they are. Get them out quick. Open those beds up for more detainees."
The deportation of Yiannopoulos, who was arrested at an airport in New Orleans, where he may have been planning to attend a concert by rapper Ye, has been scrutinized. The DHS quickly publicized his arrest and confirmed his deportation to the UK on Friday, one day after his arrest.
"He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws," a DHS release stated. "The administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport."
CNN host Dana Bash inquired if right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who had claimed to tip off ICE about Yiannopoulos's expired permission to be in the U.S., was involved. Homan replied, "A lot of people tipped ICE off. There are a lot of people who are calling ICE, and she says she's one of them. She probably was."
However, he emphasized that it did not matter who tipped off ICE. "Bottom line is, he was ordered removed by an immigration judge, and ICE's job is to execute that order."
Loomer and Yiannopoulos, who had previously supported the Trump administration's deportation efforts, had publicly fallen out. Homan denied that the Trump administration had made an example of Yiannopoulos to send a message. "We don't deport people based on political affiliation," he said.
The incident has sparked a debate about the fairness and speed of the deportation process in the United States, particularly in cases involving political figures. Critics argue that the swift removal of Yiannopoulos could set a precedent for expedited deportations without due process, while supporters of the administration assert that it is a necessary measure to enforce immigration laws.
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