In-town pool note #1 - Homan gaggle

Good morning,

Tom Homan gaggled just before 9.30am for about 15 minutes. Please check quotes against video/audio.

He confirmed that "there's discussions" about ICE using a naval base north of Chicago as an operations centre. "The planning is still being discussed." He wouldn't say whether National Guard troops would use the same base (though he said he knows the answer).

On Chicago: "We're not going to tell you how many resources we're going to send to the city. We don't want the bad guy to know...it'll be a large contingent."

He also said that he is discussing with other officials how to strike the right balance between the administration's immigration policy and helping US farmers who rely on labour from undocumented migrants: "I'm not going to get ahead of the President on that. I'm discussing that with people, but until the President makes a final decision, I'm not going to get ahead of him. I'll support what the President comes up".

Homan said he disagreed with a judge's decision to shut down Alligator Alcatraz: "I disagree with the judge who made the decision. I went down there. I walked through detention areas where people sleep and live. I saw a clean facility, a well maintained facility." He added later that he does not think the facility was a waste of money.

Asked if there would be a large ICE operation in Chicago after Labour Day, Homan said: "operations are ramped up across the country, but you could see it ramp up around places like Chicago, absolutely."

He added that operations would ramp up in other cities as well: "You're going to see a ramp of operations in New York, you're going to see a ramp up of operations continue in LA...Portland, Seattle, all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE."

Homan would not confirm whether the administration is considering limiting visa durations for students and journalists.

He said the Minnesota Catholic school shooting yesterday was "heartbreaking".

Otter link: https://otter.ai/u/hbmippMT3yZARwlE9PTTs6tlttE?utm_source=copy_url

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Steff Chávez

US Defence Correspondent

Financial Times

Washington, DC

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