White House border czar Tom Homan fired back at a Democrat senator who accused ICE agents of deliberately terrorizing children at school bus stops — calling the claim “political fire” designed to put agents at risk.
The clash between Homan and Senator Chris Murphy highlights the ongoing political battle over immigration enforcement tactics, which has intensified in recent months as federal authorities ramp up operations targeting individuals with final removal orders. The controversy underscores deep divisions between the administration’s law enforcement approach and Democratic lawmakers’ concerns about the impact on families and communities.
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy posted Wednesday on X that “ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops” in Danbury, Connecticut — adding that agents were “just targeting parents sitting at school bus stops just to terrorize little kids.”
Murphy’s accusation went further, suggesting that ICE agents deliberately timed their arrests to maximize trauma to children by waiting until students were already on buses, leaving them to return home alone without their parents. The allegation quickly spread across social media, sparking outrage among immigration advocacy groups and fueling protests in Connecticut and beyond.
Homan wasn’t having it.
“ICE ISN’T IN THE BUSINESS OF TERRORIZING CHILDREN. THAT’S JUST POLITICAL FIRE.”
“ICE is out there enforcing [a] law that was enacted by Congress, then we arrest illegal aliens,” Homan told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” Sunday. “Are some parents? I’m sure many are. But we’re not out there to terrorize children. We’re out there to look for illegal aliens with final orders of removal, those who overstayed, those that are criminals, and we’re out there looking for them and arresting them. ICE has no intention of terrorizing children.“
Homan’s defense rests on the legal foundation that ICE operates under congressional authority and targets individuals who have already gone through removal proceedings or violated immigration law. His remarks reflect the administration’s broader position that enforcement actions, while sometimes affecting families, are simply the execution of existing law rather than deliberate intimidation tactics.
Homan said Murphy’s statement was “just a political statement made to enrage the American people” — and accused inflammatory rhetoric like Murphy’s of directly fueling violence against federal agents.
The border czar drew a direct line between what he characterized as misleading political narratives and the safety of immigration enforcement personnel in the field. According to Homan, the consequences of such rhetoric extend far beyond political debate, creating a dangerous environment for officers carrying out their duties.
Threats against ICE officers are up over 9,000 percent, Homan said — a rate “no other law enforcement agency in the world” has experienced.
“And I say most of it is based on hateful rhetoric and mischaracterization of what ICE does,” Homan continued.
The dramatic increase in threats represents an unprecedented challenge for the agency and its personnel, raising questions about officer safety and the broader climate surrounding immigration enforcement operations across the country.
He pointed to the Delaney Hall case in Newark as a perfect example of the misinformation machine at work.
“Delaney Hall was a big story. Everybody’s protesting up in Newark [in New Jersey] on Delaney Hall, said there was a hunger strike,” Homan explained. “People weren’t eating at the cafeteria, but they’re eating in the commissary. And no one was missing medication. They said one person — one father — was arrested while buying diapers. No, he was arrested at a jail, and he was there for domestic violence charges.“
The Newark case had generated significant media attention and public demonstrations before the administration provided what it described as factual corrections. The discrepancy between initial reports and Homan’s account illustrates the information wars that have become central to the immigration enforcement debate, with each side accusing the other of spreading false narratives.
Homan added that “all these false stories come out, and people buy off on them” but when the Trump administration proves them fake “no one ever covers that.”
“No one ever says, ‘OK, we were wrong. There actually wasn’t a hunger strike. There wasn’t actually mistreatment at that facility,'” Homan concluded.
His frustration points to what the administration sees as a persistent imbalance in media coverage, where initial allegations receive widespread attention while subsequent corrections or rebuttals struggle to gain similar traction. This dynamic, according to Homan, perpetuates misconceptions about ICE operations and further endangers agents.
Murphy’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This morning in Danbury, ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops.
But it’s more sinister. ICE waited until the kids were on the bus so when they are dropped off at the end of the day, they are alone, scared to death they can’t find their parents.
I’m heading to Danbury.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 26, 2026
