Morning Joe star Mika Brzezinski’s exchange with President Donald Trump’s border czar quickly turned hostile over allegations that immigration officials are “disappearing” people without due process.
During an appearance on the MSNBC show, Tom Homan was challenged by host Brzezinski on how ICE officials determine who qualifies as a criminal and whether those merely in the process of securing legal status are being unfairly targeted.
“I’m curious—is a person who is living in this country, paying taxes, has a license, has a job and has kids serving in the U.S. military, but is still in the process of getting legal papers, is that person a criminal?” Brzezinski asked.
“Every case is different,” Homan began, before Brzezinski cut in: “I’m asking about that case, because there’s been that case.”
The journalist was seemingly referring to Narciso Barranco, a Tustin, California resident and father to three U.S. Marine sons, who was pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched in the face by agents outside of an IHOP before being detained.
Homan acknowledged that the person described was “not a public safety threat,” but added: “However, if they’re in the country illegally, that is not okay.”
Brzezinski pressed further, questioning whether such individuals deserve to be “dragged away by ICE officers in masks.”
“That seems to be the answer for any case that has happened that you don’t want to talk about,” Brzezinski added.
“Because there are cases across the country where people who are paying taxes, who have licenses, who are in the process of trying to get legal papers, are they criminals? Especially those who have kids who have served in the U.S. military. And no, they’re not a public safety hazard!”
Frustrated, Homan shot back: “Are you going to let me answer your question?” He repeated that he didn’t know the specifics of the case Brzezinski cited.
He then claimed that data not publicly available shows that 70 percent of undocumented immigrants are “public safety threats,” a claim at odds with multiple reports showing the majority of ICE detainees have no criminal convictions.
“I would like to see that data that you’re talking about... I’d love some transparency as to why a lot of these people have disappeared,” Brzezinski said, which sent Homan over the edge.
“That’s a ridiculous thing to say,” he sputtered. “To say we’re disappearing people—no, we’re arresting people who are in the country illegally and are a public safety threat.”
Homan appeared on the show to defend the recent Supreme Court decision that lifted a pause on the Trump administration’s mandate allowing immigration agents to conduct stops without “reasonable suspicion.”
The raids had been halted in July by a Biden-appointed federal judge in Los Angeles, after widespread allegations that officers were targeting seemingly random Hispanic individuals to meet deportation quotas.
The SCOTUS decision is a clear win for the Trump administration and paves the way for the president to ramp up mass deportations.
The heated exchange also caught the attention of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who wrote in a post on X, “You can see the hatred in her eyes as Tom speaks the truth. Trump Derangement Syndrome on full display!”
