Border czar Tom Homan fires back after Democrat Chris Murphy claims ICE is ‘terrorizing little kids’
Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, appeared on “State of the Union” on Sunday to rebut Senator Chris Murphy’s claim that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was singling out parents at school bus stops in Danbury, Connecticut. Homan said ICE’s mission is to enforce the statutes passed by Congress, not to “terrorize children,” and added that he had not been briefed on the specific incident but would seek more information.
Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, had posted on social media on Friday that ICE was “targeting parents sitting at school bus stops just to terrorize little kids.” The senator’s remarks followed a week of heightened ICE activity in the Danbury area, where local officials and an immigrant‑rights group said close to 50 residents were detained and four parents were taken while school buses were present.
A department spokesperson responded that the accusation was “false,” describing it as a “work of fiction” intended to score political points while officers face a dramatic rise in assaults, vehicular attacks and death threats. The spokesperson noted that under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, anyone who violates the law will be found, arrested and deported, regardless of local political opposition.
The discussion unfolded against a backdrop of recent policy changes. In January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded a Biden‑era directive that had barred ICE from operating near schools, hospitals and houses of worship, restoring agents’ discretion to conduct enforcement in those sensitive locations. That shift came after a one‑day pause ordered by the president to review vehicle‑stop procedures.
DHS identified the individual arrested in Danbury on Wednesday as Leonel Geovanny Morocho‑Arteaga, 28, who had entered the United States illegally before being detained and released by Border Patrol in 2021. During the vehicle stop, agents discovered a large kitchen knife in the center console. A child linked to the case remained under the mother’s guardianship, though the exact relationship was not disclosed. Court records show that Morocho‑Arteaga filed a habeas corpus petition in Connecticut on the same day as his arrest.
Mayor Roberto Alves of Danbury said the recent operations had caused concern among community members, with reports of ICE activity near schools and a daycare. An advocacy organization, Danbury United for Immigrants, said four parents were taken while school buses were stopped, adding that the detentions had created a climate of fear.
The exchange highlights the ongoing partisan dispute over immigration enforcement, with the administration’s border chief emphasizing strict law‑enforcement adherence and Democratic leaders accusing ICE of fostering fear in neighborhoods.