Border czar Tom Homan and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers have never met, but they've been engaged in a public dispute over immigration enforcement in state buildings.
"I've got nothing against the governor. I don't know the governor. I never met the governor," Homan said.
The conflict stems from a memo issued by the Evers administration that provides guidance to state employees on how to respond if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appear in state buildings. The memo directs employees to notify supervisors, verify agents' identities, examine documents and refrain from answering questions.
Homan has previously suggested Evers could face prosecution if he breaks the law. When asked about specific concerns with the memo, Homan deferred to legal authorities.
"I'm not going to comment on that. I'll leave it to the attorney general and her office to look at that memo. I think they're reviewing it," Homan said.
Watch: Trump's border czar discusses Gov. Tony Evers' ICE memo
Evers has firmly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.
"I'm not afraid. I haven't broken the law. I haven't committed a crime and I never encouraged anyone to break any laws or commit any crimes," Evers said.
The governor appeared surprised by the attention from federal immigration officials.
"I would think he would have more important things to do than to mess with the governor from Wisconsin," Evers said.
When asked if he had specific concerns about undocumented immigrants in state buildings, Homan didn't cite specific evidence but suggested it was possible.
"You know. Never say never. I mean, I've been doing this since 1984. I've arrested many illegal aliens in state office buildings," Homan said. "But you know illegal employment in this United States is in almost every sector, including state sectors."
Homan estimates ICE has made 80,000 arrests since the Trump administration intensified enforcement efforts this year, though these numbers aren't broken down by state.
The dispute comes amid controversy surrounding Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces federal charges related to an incident involving ICE agents in her courtroom.
When asked if Judge Dugan's case was politically motivated, Homan rejected the suggestion.
"No, it's about breaking the law," Homan said.
This message has been consistent from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, who took the unusual step of posting a behind-the-scenes picture of Dugan's arrest.
Watch: Trump’s border czar on Judge Dugan charges
"It's about enforcing the law, and as a judge you'd think she'd be above that. I mean, her job is to adjudicate, so I know we'll let the court play out the way it plays out. But I think we're doing the right thing," Homan said.
Judge Dugan's legal team has maintained her innocence: "As she said after her unnecessary arrest, Judge Dugan asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court."
While the case centers on what happened in Dugan's courtroom, ICE agents were able to arrest Eduardo Flores Ruiz after a brief chase outside the courthouse, according to the criminal complaint. The undocumented migrant from Mexico was in court on misdemeanor domestic battery allegations.
"Absolutely, because ICE agents—they're not going to let people like that judge stop them from doing their job," Homan said when asked about the arrest. "ICE officers are very good at their job, and thank God, they got their hands on him."
This story was reported by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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