Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan doubled down on his controversial testimony before Congress earlier this week that all undocumented immigration “should be concerned” about being deported.
“I have zero regrets. It needed to be said,” Homan told ABC News. “If you choose to enter this country illegally, which is a crime, you should be concerned. You violated a law in this country, and I’ll tell you, you can’t have it both ways,”
“You can’t be part of this country and not respect its laws.”
Homan said he was surprised by people’s reaction to his comments, and that those shocked by his testimony “obviously” hadn’t read President Trump’s executive order ending the Obama-era policy of “catch-and-release.”
“The executive orders could have been written in one sentence. ‘We will now enforce the laws on the books,'” he explained.
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Homan said that immigration laws were just like any other laws in the United States.
“You can’t be a part of this country unless you have respect for the laws of this country and the people that protect you — the people that enforce the laws,” Homan said.
Last week, ICE found itself in a storm of controversy on social media after it arrested an undocumented teenager, Puma Mancancela, just hours before his senior prom.