ICE director says Californians should thank him for removing 'public threats' in major raid


California officials should be thanking Immigration and Customs Enforcement for arresting around 150 undocumented immigrants in a recent raid, says Thomas Homan, the department's acting director.
Homan appeared on Fox News on Thursday to tout his agency's removal of "public threats" in the city of Oakland, following a raid that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (D) announced to residents in advance in an attempt to warn undocumented immigrants of possible arrests.
"I would think that the Oakland mayor and the congressional representatives in California would send me letters thanking me for removing public safety threats," Homan said, after reading a list of crimes allegedly committed by those detained in the raid.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Homan criticized Schaaf's decision to alert residents of the February raid, saying last week that her announcement helped around 800 immigrants avoid arrest and thus made the community "a lot less safe."
The Trump administration has been at odds with California lawmakers quite a bit recently, with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) feuding over the state's "sanctuary" policies, which shield immigrants from deportation by allowing local authorities to decline to cooperate with ICE. Sessions on Wednesday criticized California officials for blocking federal law, ABC News reported.
Watch Homan's appearance on Fox News below. Summer Meza
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Codeword: July 10, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read