Another one bites US president's dust!
Another one bites the dust! could be the headline of this publication. If someone wants to retire soon or be fired for any reason, one should undoubtedly apply for a vacancy at the cabinet of the United States’ president, Donald Trump. This time, Thomas Homan, head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), is packing and saying goodbye after six months of management of being appointed by the American head of state to direct the agency in charge of the migratory operations. ICE has become the repressive organ of Trumps’ administration against the emigrants. According to reports, Homan will be officially off on June for family reasons.
In January 2017 Homan was temporarily appointed to the position, subordinate to the Department of Homeland Security. Initially, Thomas had planned to retire but agreed to remain acting director of ICE at the request of former Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly.
So far it is known that Homan made the decisions arguing family reasons and any other information regarding the revocation of DACA has not been. Maybe he simply wants to retire to business.
También se especula que quería evitar un embarazoso proceso de confirmación en el Senado; e incluso iniciar una posible carrera en el lucrativo negocio de prisiones privadas.
Homan’s boss, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who took office last December, has relegated him to many decisions. Even at the beginning of the year he was not invited to try to negotiate a migratory pact. At that time The Washington Post reflected Thomas' frustration in an article. However, Kirstjen Nielsen exceeded the flattery and called him a great "patriot", available to the public service.
It is also speculated that he wanted to avoid an embarrassing confirmation process in the Senate; and even start a possible career in the lucrative business of private prisons.
And perhaps Nielsen is right if Thomas's cruelty to the emigrants is evaluated. Although the Trumps considers Homan is "soft", the former police officer has been harshly criticized by the press due to the offensive against the emigrants and the number increase of migrants’ arrests. He has also severely criticized the governors of several states that have sanctuary laws. Homan, during his brief period in office, has tried to follow the designs of the US president to the very detail, as evidence by the number of arrests that increased by 41%, while deportations did it by 30%. The agency has also made the largest number of gang arrests of the "MS-13".
Unfortunately under Homan's "enthusiasm" the number of detainees without criminal records also rose almost triple, from 17,000 to 46,000. Although the Agency has defended itself with data revealing that 92% of those arrested and deported had criminal convictions, pending charges, and were law fugitives or had illegally re-entered the country.
The detainers’ numbers have also gone up. These orders allow the detention of undocumented persons while they go into ICE’s custody for their deportation. Homan's impeccable work has been perceptible in the arbitrary and unjust trials that have taken place this year to undocumented migrants, which has included even war veterans.
Therefore, far from being a national pride, Homan is an embarrassment to a nation built, maintained and supported by emigrants. ICE, under Homan's office, has frightened mothers, fathers, grandparents and children who do not have papers. The former police officer does not hide his position on emigration and always reminds those who hear that every undocumented person is exposed to deportation.
Surely, he left a legacy, particularly for refusing compassion and dividing families. Mr. Thomas has separated children, mothers, and husbands and, above all, has wanted to wrest the status of sanctuary cities from various states of the nation and has waged a battle between the Agency and local governments.
