Tom Homan, appointed by the incoming President Donald Trump as the “border czar”, recently visited the U.S.-Mexico border alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The duo criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the immigration crisis and promised to implement Trump’s proposed large-scale deportation strategy.

“Let me be clear: There will be a mass deportation due to the recent significant illegal immigration crisis on the border,” Homan stated. The forthcoming Trump administration, he added, is already crafting plans and will not wait until January to ensure maximum national security.

As part of Operation Lone Star, a border operation initiated by Abbott in March 2021 due to perceived lack of support from the Biden administration, Homan and Abbott served meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety officers stationed at Eagle Pass and Edinburg over Thanksgiving.

Despite accusations of low troop morale, humanitarian issues, and escalating costs, Abbott continues to champion the operation, which has deployed thousands of police, soldiers, and miles of barriers. However, the Biden Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union are contesting this, arguing that Texas is overstepping federal immigration authority.

Homan pledged to “assist Abbott in completing the task he began” once Trump assumes office. Abbott, speaking on “60 Minutes”, maintained that Texas is “enforcing the laws that are the policy of the United States Congress” with Operation Lone Star.

As the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first term, Homan is expected to oversee the largest deportation program in history, as promised by Trump. Homan and Abbott, appearing on Fox News, reaffirmed their commitment to enforce the law despite opposition from certain city mayors.

Homan, a key figure in the implementation of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, also addressed Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s pledge to employ civil disobedience to counter deportation orders. Homan responded, “The Denver mayor and I agree on one point. He’s willing to go to jail. I’m ready to put him in jail.”

CBS News reports that illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are predicted to reach a new low during the Biden administration in November. The last time the numbers were this low was in the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.