Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan spoke at an event hosted by the hate group Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) today, and was blasted for lending credibility to such an extremist group.
CIS and its executive director, Mark Krikorian, like to take offense at the fact that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled them a hate group. But the designation happened for a reason — 2,012 reasons, to be exact. And the fact that Thomas Homan agreed to speak at this event is just the latest in a long line of questionable things he’s done.
This is the hate group that @ICEgov Director is hanging out with today –> 2,012 Times the Center for Immigration Studies Circulated White Nationalist Content https://t.co/Y9SpQSOYHr via @splcenter
— Joe Sudbay (@JoeSudbay) June 5, 2018
Advocates slammed Homan for being part of such a questionable event, and Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) made it clear that it’s “disqualifying” for a public official to appear before “a group that spreads white supremacist and anti-Semitic views”. He also sent a public letter to Homan asking the acting ICE Director to cancel his appearance:
It’s disqualifying for a public servant entrusted with protecting our safety to legitimize a group that spreads white supremacist and anti-Semitic views.
ICE Director Homan must cancel his planned address to the Center for Immigration Studies. https://t.co/ix3i4KcXdK
— Rep. Joe Crowley (@repjoecrowley) June 5, 2018
Read my full letter demanding that ICE Director Homan cancel plans to address a known hate group: https://t.co/fM1t0ysTsF https://t.co/ZgFTTOjl5G
— Rep. Joe Crowley (@repjoecrowley) June 5, 2018
The event itself was met with protests from CHIRLA, Voto Latino, the Center for American Progress, and others highlighting the Trump Administration’s policy of separating children from their families and asking if Homan knew he’d just met with a hate group. View some of the photos, tweets, and pictures below:
Homan, Acting Director of @ICEgov is a little confused. States he cares about the well being of children, yet he has no prblm separating them from their parents, which is the most traumatic experience a child can experience. #KeepFamiliesTogether #UnitedAgainstHate pic.twitter.com/q8FLmYapL6
— Isabel J. Sanchez (@IsabelJSanchez) June 5, 2018
We’re at the @PressClubDC to demand justice for #ClaudiaGonzalez, #RoxanaHernandez, and all the families @ICEgov has torn apart. Stop hiding, Homan!#UnitedAgainstHate #FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/JTXrRLGofj
— #DreamActNow (@votolatino) June 5, 2018
The most truthful thing Homan said throughout that love fest with a hate org is that he’s not a lawyer.
— Tom Jawetz (@TomJawetz) June 5, 2018
Just to be clear: questions at the @wwwCISorg #ICE presser were filtered by the moderator, no challenges/questions to Homan’s claims we’re allowed. Hardly an exemplary format for meeting supposedly benefiting the press
— Harrison Cramer (@HarrisonCramer) June 5, 2018
Today the Director of @ICEgov, Tom Homan is speaking at the Center for Immigration Studies event, a hate group identified by @splcenter founded by John Tanton whose book is titled “The Case for Passive Eugenics.” Speaking to a hate group is unacceptable. #EndFamilySeparation pic.twitter.com/PE3RBSBqJO
— bilal (@Billyistan) June 5, 2018
Protestors to Thomas Homan: “Sir, are you aware you just met with a group founded by a eugenicist” / white supremacist? https://t.co/dc3d3EvIKq pic.twitter.com/37bmjHFuVE
— America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) June 5, 2018
We confronted @ICEgov Director Homan after he spoke to anti-immigrant hate group @cisorg. #ClaudiaGonzalez, #RoxanaHernandez, and families deserve justice. DEFUND ICE NOW! #unitedagainsthate #familiesbelongtogether pic.twitter.com/J4MqUJCg6z
— #DreamActNow (@votolatino) June 5, 2018
Nothing to see here, just Thomas Homan, acting director of ICE, speaking at an event hosted by an anti-immigrant hate group. https://t.co/31lPH1dMlo
— Gabe #DreamActNow Ortíz (@TUSK81) June 4, 2018
Protestors from @CHIRLA and Center for American Progress confront Homan outside the Natl Press Club about his attendance at today’s event with the Center for Immigration Studies: pic.twitter.com/i8UGfyAGqP
— Bryan Pietsch (@bryan_pietsch) June 5, 2018
Homan makes dubious claim “ICE doesn’t separate families,” that CPB does. Interviewer doesn’t press him on any falsehoods, met immediately by protestors outside pic.twitter.com/k1Whqkkkuo
— Harrison Cramer (@HarrisonCramer) June 5, 2018
The Trump Administration’s is now separating families seeking asylum at our Southern border. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has pushed this hateful policy for decades and today Acting Director of @ICEgov Tom Homan is speaking at a CIS event. #FamiliesBelongTogether
— America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) June 5, 2018
