“To terrorize people”: Former ICE Director Analyzes Trump’s immigration Tactics
A former ICE director is offering a stark assessment of the Trump governance’s immigration policies, characterizing them as a deliberate shift toward aggressive enforcement intended to “terrorize people.” in an interview with Univision News, Tomás Romero Pereira, who led ICE under President obama, contrasted the priorities of the previous administration with the current focus on maximizing arrests adn expanding resources for enforcement, including a dramatic increase in spending on firearms.
Romero Pereira’s comments come as the Biden administration faces continued criticism for maintaining some of the stricter immigration policies enacted under Trump. The former director’s insights provide a critical ancient viewpoint on the evolution of ICE’s tactics and the motivations behind them, highlighting a fundamental change in how the agency operates and the impact on immigrant communities. the shift, he argues, isn’t about necessity but about a conscious decision to project strength through increased enforcement.
Regarding his experience working with Tom Homan, now a top Trump immigration official, Romero Pereira described him as a “great person” and “very confident,” but also as someone ”wholly loyal to whoever is in charge.” He noted Homan’s willingness to aggressively pursue the administration’s enforcement agenda, something Romero Pereira said he hadn’t witnessed before. “He was willing to promote immigration enforcement the way this administration wants, which is something I had never seen before. I can’t judge him…if you have your boss there, you are expected to do what he says. That’s what Tom is doing.”
Romero Pereira also pointed to a significant increase in ICE’s budget for small arms, rising from approximately $10 million to $70 million. he stated that while funding wasn’t difficult to obtain during his tenure, priorities differed. “If you’re going to arrest everyone, you’re going to need a lot more money,” he explained. Under his leadership,ICE focused on prioritizing the detention of individuals involved in serious crimes – “drug traffickers,sexual offenders,those who commit domestic violence” – rather than individuals with clean records and long-standing ties to the community,such as “a gardener who works for a landscaping company,who has an impeccable record in this country,a family and has been here for decades.” He emphasized that this was a matter of “procedural discretion” in applying the law,and the current spending levels are “nothing comparable” to what was discussed during his time at ICE.
