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Tom Homan's Press Conference: Uncovering Biden's Lost Children and Trump's Deportation Surge

Border Czar Tom Homan at the January 30, 2026 Press Conference
Border Czar Tom Homan at the January 30, 2026 Press Conference

In a high-stakes press conference on January 30, 2026, Border Czar Tom Homan laid bare the human cost of the Biden administration's border policies, revealing shocking numbers on missing migrant children and the Trump team's rapid progress in locating them. As a conservative, I see this as a vindication of strong leadership—Trump's administration has already made strides in rescuing vulnerable kids from potential exploitation while ramping up deportations to levels not seen in decades. This isn't just about numbers; it's about restoring order, protecting innocence, and learning from the failures of lax enforcement. Through a thorough breakdown, we'll explore Homan's key revelations, the historical context of these crises, and why conservatives must champion these efforts to secure our borders and safeguard the nation's future.


To fully appreciate Homan's update, we must first understand the scale of the problem he inherited. Under the Biden administration, over 300,000 unaccompanied migrant children crossed the U.S. border and were released to sponsors, but many were never properly vetted or tracked. This led to widespread concerns that these minors fell into the hands of traffickers, forced labor networks, or abusive situations. Homan, drawing from data compiled by ICE, the FBI, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, reported that the Trump team has located more than 145,000 of these children since taking office. This figure represents a significant increase from earlier reports of 62,000 found in December 2025, showing the administration's aggressive push to follow up on leads and conduct welfare checks.


Conservatives have long argued that the Biden era's "catch and release" approach created this vulnerability, allowing children to vanish into the shadows of an overwhelmed system. Homan emphasized during the conference that many of these located children were rescued from dire circumstances, including sex trafficking rings and sweatshops where they were forced to work long hours in unsafe conditions. The effort involves cross-agency collaboration, with ICE agents knocking on doors, reviewing sponsor records, and partnering with local law enforcement to verify the safety of these minors. This is not a small operation—it's a nationwide initiative that has already yielded results in states like Texas, California, and New York, where large numbers of migrant releases occurred under Biden.


To learn from this, consider the historical parallels. During the Obama administration, similar releases of unaccompanied minors led to reports of thousands going missing, prompting congressional hearings in 2016 that exposed systemic failures in sponsor vetting. The Trump team in 2017–2021 tightened protocols, reducing such incidents, but Biden's reversal—relaxing background checks to speed up releases—reopened the floodgates. Conservatives point to this as evidence that compassionate policies without strong safeguards invite exploitation by criminal cartels, who view children as profitable commodities. Homan's press conference serves as a lesson: border security isn't anti-immigrant; it's pro-child protection. By locating these kids, the administration is not only saving lives but also disrupting trafficking networks that profit from human misery.


Shifting to deportations, Homan's conference also touched on the broader enforcement picture, aligning with a Fox News report from January 27, 2026, on state-by-state totals. The U.S. has seen over 605,000 deportations since Trump took office in January 2025, contributing to a record-breaking total of more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants leaving the country through enforced removals and voluntary departures. Breaking it down by state, Texas leads with the highest number, reporting over 150,000 deportations, followed by California at around 120,000, Arizona with 80,000, and Florida nearing 70,000. These figures reflect targeted operations focusing on criminal aliens, with states like New York (50,000) and Illinois (40,000) seeing significant activity due to urban concentrations of undocumented populations.


Conservatives celebrate this as a return to effective enforcement, learning from the Biden years when deportations plummeted to historic lows, allowing criminal elements to embed deeper in communities. Homan noted that these efforts have reduced illegal crossings by 70 - 100% at the southern border, freeing resources to focus on interior removals. States like Georgia (30,000 deportations) and North Carolina (25,000) have benefited from joint task forces with ICE, targeting gangs and drug traffickers. This state-level data teaches a key lesson: when federal and local authorities cooperate, deportations are more efficient and communities safer. Critics on the left decry it as harsh, but conservatives argue it's compassionate—removing threats protects American families and legal immigrants alike.


To further learn the implications, consider the economic and security benefits. Deportations have contributed to negative net migration for the first time in decades, with over 2.2 million self-deportations as individuals leave voluntarily amid stricter enforcement. This eases strain on public services in high-impact states like Texas and California, where schools and hospitals were overwhelmed. From a conservative viewpoint, this reverses Biden's open-border legacy, which conservatives blame for rising crime and fentanyl deaths. Homan's data shows that 64% of deportees had criminal records, underscoring the focus on public safety.


As A Catholic conservative, this resonates deeply. The Church calls for welcoming the stranger, but also for just governance that protects the common good. Pope John Paul II in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis emphasized that solidarity must include responsibility—nations have a duty to regulate migration to prevent exploitation. The missing children crisis highlights how lax policies enabled traffickers to prey on the vulnerable, a grave sin against human dignity. Trump's efforts to locate these kids and deport criminals align with that teaching: mercy for the innocent, justice for the guilty.


In conclusion, Tom Homan's press conference is a beacon of hope amid dark times. By locating over 145,000 missing children and deporting hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens, the Trump administration is restoring order and protecting lives. Conservatives must champion this—it's a lesson in the power of resolute leadership. Pray for continued success, support secure borders, and remember: true compassion demands accountability.




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