### Trump Appoints Thomas Homan to Lead Historic Mass-Deportation Effort

In a significant new appointment, President-elect Donald Trump announced Thomas Homan as the leader of what could be the most extensive mass-deportation initiative in U.S. history. Homan, Trump's former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will take on the role of "border czar." Trump praised Homan on Truth Social, stating, "I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders."

Homan is tasked with overseeing border, maritime, and aviation security, and he will also be responsible for deporting illegal aliens back to their countries of origin. Although Trump did not detail Homan's specific duties, the new appointee expressed gratitude and enthusiasm for his new role during a "Fox & Friends" interview, highlighting his previous criticisms of the Biden administration's handling of border security. "This is the second time I've come out of retirement for this president because it matters," said Homan.

Homan elaborated on Trump's immigration strategy during an appearance on Fox Business Network, describing it as a "cost savings" initiative. The Trump-Vance transition team referred Business Insider to Trump’s social media announcement when contacted for further comments.

Before his new appointment, Homan climbed the ranks from Border Patrol agent to executive associate director for enforcement and removal operations at ICE under President Barack Obama. In an October “60 Minutes” interview, Homan justified mass deportations as necessary in the context of a historic illegal immigration crisis. He clarified that the operations wouldn’t involve sweeping neighborhoods or constructing concentration camps, but rather focused arrests and work-site enforcement operations aimed at uncovering trafficking cases.

Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump committed to deporting millions of illegal immigrants to enhance citizen safety, job opportunities for native-born workers, and reduce housing costs. Reports suggest that mass deportation operations would involve significant reallocations of federal resources and collaboration with local law enforcement. Budgetary considerations have also been discussed, with estimates by the American Immigration Council suggesting potential costs of up to $315 billion.

The previous Trump administration's efforts resulted in approximately 1.5 million deportations, according to the Migration Policy Institute. However, experts warn of economic drawbacks to such policies. Interviews conducted by Business Insider indicate that mass deportations could lead to higher inflation, lower GDP, and adverse effects on the job market. Chloe East of the Brookings Institution noted that unauthorized immigrants often occupy lower-paying, more hazardous jobs that are less appealing to U.S.-born workers.

In addition to Homan’s appointment, Trump has begun filling other key roles in his upcoming administration, including Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff.