Trump's announced border czar says he is not taking the job "as of right now"
The day after President Trump announced that Tom Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was returning to the administration as a "border czar," Homan said that he was not taking the position "as of right now."
In an interview with Fox News, Homan said that Mr. Trump's announcement was "premature." Mr. Trump said that Homan would be the new border czar in his own interview with Fox News Friday morning.
"He'll be a border czar, he'll be very much involved in the border, he'll be reporting directly to me," Mr. Trump said.
Homan said that while he was not accepting the job, "the discussions will continue."
"I respect this president greatly and I'll never say 'never,'" Homan said, adding that he would continue to raise awareness about the situation at the southern border. "I don't know what role I'll play but I will always be involved in it."
Homan stepped down from his acting post at ICE last year after the Senate had yet to act on his confirmation, which would have been an uphill battle given opposition from some to his hard-line views on immigration. Under Homan, ICE recorded a significant uptick in arrests of undocumented immigrants. Homan was also a vocal opponent of "sanctuary" cities and policies.
The possibility of an immigration czar had been under consideration for awhile. CBS News previously reported the president was considering the appointment of such an immigration czar to oversee the implementation of his hardline immigration agenda.