Trump's Border Czar Issues Stern Warning to Immigrants in Arizona: 'You Should Be Looking Over Your Shoulder'

Trump's border czar Tom Homan delivered a forceful message to undocumented immigrants during a speech at the Arizona State Legislature on Tuesday: "if you're in the country illegally, you should be looking over your shoulder."

Addressing a joint session of mostly Republican lawmakers, Homan signaled the Trump administration's full commitment to mass deportation, saying they will target all undocumented immigrants — regardless of whether they have criminal records. "It's not OK to be in this country illegally. And people hate on me for that?" he said. "They're coming, too."

Homan also praised Arizona lawmakers for backing legislation like SB1164, which mandates local law enforcement cooperation with ICE and allows the state attorney general to investigate agencies that don't comply, as Arizona Capitol Times reports. He singled out former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, in attendance, as a model: "We had no problem when that guy was in office."

Homan's remarks come as Trump's immigration policies face heightened scrutiny over allegations of due process violations, especially as it pertains to the use of the Alien Enemies Act. Speaking to Axios on Monday, Homan defended the practices put forward by the administrations, saying ICE agents are responsible for determining gang affiliations. "Many gang members don't have criminal history," he said. "They're still enemies of the United States."

While the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the continued use of the Alien Enemies Act this week, it ruled that those targeted must be given reasonable time to challenge removal in court.

Homan also reiterated support for family detention and Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy, which separated over 5,000 children from their families:

"Zero tolerance worked — the numbers went down. It's sad and unfortunate that families get separated. Law enforcement does it thousands of times across the country but there's a good meaning behind it"

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen voiced strong support for Homan and the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, linking current and proposed state measures to Trump's agenda, as AZ Mirror reports. "Arizona will do everything we can to support you in your efforts," Petersen told Homan.

Democratic lawmakers protested the visit by walking out mid-speech, holding signs with the names of people they say were wrongfully detained or deported. "What Trump is promising is the exact opposite of order. It's chaos," said State Sen. Analise Ortiz.