What Happened When "Face the Nation" Talked to Trump’s Border Czar (July 19, 2026)

Imagine you’re sitting on the couch watching a Sunday morning news show. The host, Margaret Brennan, is chatting with Tom Homan, who is like the president’s point-person (or "border czar") for things happening at the borders and with immigration officers. This article explains, in super simple terms, what they talked about.

Who Was Talking?

• Margaret Brennan: The news show host on "Face the Nation."
• Tom Homan: The "border czar" for the Trump administration (meaning he helps lead border and immigration enforcement plans).
• The interview aired on July 19, 2026.

Recent Shootings and Accidents Involving Immigrants

Margaret started by mentioning some sad events:

• Two immigrants were shot in one week.
  • One was in Maine and died.
  • Another was in Houston and also died.
• In Florida, a man ran from officers, then was hit and killed by a big truck (a tractor trailer).

She asked Homan: People say it looks like nothing has changed from before. What do you say?

Homan’s Response (ELI5 Version)

• He said: "Let’s wait for the detectives to finish their homework (investigations) before blaming anyone."
• Investigations use:
  • Cell phone videos
  • City cameras
  • Statements from people who saw it
  • Notes from the officers
• A politician named Markwayne Mullin paused some car-stop arrests to keep officers safe.
• Homan’s big worry: He thinks when people (even some members of Congress) say "ICE isn’t real police," it makes regular people think they don’t have to listen to immigration officers.
  • ICE = Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the federal immigration police).
• His rule: Even if you dislike ICE or the immigration laws, you should always do what law enforcement says.

Important Point: Homan believes obeying officers during a stop could prevent tragedies, but he admits we must wait for investigations to know exactly what happened.

Were the People Killed the Ones Being Looked For?

Margaret pointed out: In Houston and Maine, the people who died were not the ones officers wanted to catch.

Homan said:

• In one case, they did catch the right person later.
• Mix-ups happen in police work everywhere:
  1. Officers learn "Bad Guy lives at this house and drives this car."
  2. Someone leaves that house in that car at 6 a.m.
  3. Officers think, "That must be him!" and stop the car.
  4. If it’s the wrong person and they cooperate, they are let go.
• He said this kind of mistake is normal, not just for ICE.

But the Cars Weren’t Clearly Marked Police Cars

Margaret noted: In Houston, the car that chased the man was unmarked (no police paint). The family said the man thought he was being robbed!

Homan disagreed a bit:

• He said the cars have emergency lights and officers wear badges/insignia.
• Unmarked cars are used by many police (like in New York) to catch people who hide.
• He said: "If they had turned on the lights, the man would know it was police. If they didn’t turn them on, that’s a problem."

Margaret said: "We never saw lights in the video, and there were no body cameras, so it’s hard to know."

Homan admitted:

• He hadn’t seen the video.
• The cars should have lights and sirens, but he doesn’t know if they used them that day.

Important Point: Without body cameras or clear video, it’s tough to prove if emergency lights were on during the Houston stop.

Why No Body Cameras on ICE Officers?

Margaret asked about missing cameras. Homan explained like this:

• ICE would have cameras on every officer already…
• …but Congress (some Democratic members) blocked a bill and caused a government shutdown.
• That bill had $120 million to give all ICE officers cameras.
• They got $20 million in April, but:
  • That only bought some cameras.
  • It did not pay for storage or staff to handle thousands of public record requests (called FOIA).
• Now, after a new funding plan ("reconciliation"), cameras are bought and trainers are teaching others to use them nationwide.

Homan loves body cameras because:

• They show the public what the officer sees and hears.
• Data shows cameras actually prove officers did right more often than they show wrongdoing.

Questions About Voting and Non-Citizens

Margaret brought up:

• The DHS Secretary (top safety boss) said they found 250,000 non-citizens in 4 states (California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada) using public records.
• Those states don’t share voter lists, so it was just public info.
• She asked: "Will you do operations before November (elections)? And you know it’s illegal for federal agents at voting places, right?"

Homan said:

• "That’s a DHS question, not mine."
• As border czar at the White House, he wasn’t in the loop on that info.
• He suggested asking Markwayne Mullin instead.

End of Interview

They said thanks and goodbye. Margaret said they’d be back after a short break.

Summary

In this kid-friendly chat:

• Tom Homan said we must wait for investigations into immigrant deaths during police stops.
• He thinks people should always obey officers, even if the car is unmarked.
• Mix-ups in identifying suspects happen in all police work.
• ICE lacks full body cameras mainly due to past funding delays, but new cameras are coming.
• Homan was not involved in a separate DHS report about non-citizens and voting.

FAQ

1. What is a "border czar"?
A border czar is a special helper chosen by the president to lead and coordinate border and immigration enforcement plans.

2. What is ICE?
ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are the federal officers who enforce immigration laws inside the U.S.

3. Why does Homan like body cameras?
He says they show the truth of what happened from the officer’s view, and usually prove the officer did the right thing.

4. What is an unmarked car?
It’s a police vehicle that doesn’t have clear "POLICE" paint, used to catch people who might run if they saw a normal cop car.

5. Why didn’t ICE have cameras yet?
A government shutdown blocked $120 million for cameras; later partial funds weren’t enough for storage, but full funding now is fixing it.