Homan begs Democrats to stop ICE criticism as Asian deaths in custody rise

White House Border Czar Tom Homan urged Democratic leaders last week to end their criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, declaring “I don’t wanna bury anybody else” even as no agent deaths have been publicly reported this year.

What he’s saying: At a San Diego press conference on Dec. 13, Homan pleaded with officials who have publicly criticized enforcement agents, saying, “I’m begging the politicians, the governors and mayors who constantly attack these men and women, please stop.” The ICE veteran since 1984 also said, “I go to bed every night and pray that no one dies during these operations, no one dies on the border. I’ve seen too much death.” He specifically criticized Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who said in October that “this is how authoritarian regimes do it” when comparing ICE operations to Nazi persecution and incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who recently posted a video guiding residents on what to do during ICE encounters.

What we’re seeing: While no ICE officers have died this year, as per its official “Wall of Honor” webpage — compared to 14 fatalities under the Biden administration — 23 detainees have died in ICE custody, the most since 2004. Five were Asian nationals, including Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Queens resident who died by hanging on Aug. 5 at Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center. Detained just five days earlier after pleading guilty to access-device violations, the Chinese national was the facility’s only Mandarin speaker. His family’s Nov. 12 lawsuit alleges he couldn’t access translation services or reach his attorneys before his death.

The big picture: The appeals come amid reported tensions between Homan and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who have grown so estranged they “barely speak,” sources told Axios. Their reportedly disputes centered on control of the department’s $170 billion enforcement budget. Noem has drawn criticism for self-promotional advertising spending, while a 2024 FBI probe examined whether Homan accepted $50,000 in alleged bribes. Meanwhile, Asian immigrant arrests have surged nearly threefold since 2024, and language barriers, as we have seen in Ge’s case, continue preventing detainees from seeking medical help or reporting distress.