Tom Homan, the "border czar" of the Trump administration, responded firmly this Friday to questions about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Doral, Florida, and the climate of fear they have created among the Venezuelans living there.
"Those who supported President Trump voted for him to enforce immigration laws and secure the border," he said. The statement was captured by David Alandete, White House correspondent for Diario ABC, COPE, and Telemadrid, who published the video on his X account along with the question he directly posed to Homan about the impact of operations on that Venezuelan community that overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024.
"We are fulfilling our promises. We have the safest border in history and deportation operations with unprecedented numbers. This is how we are acting across the country," Homan concluded.
Doral gave Trump about 60% of the votes in the 2024 elections. Many of those voters supported him precisely because of his hardline stance against chavismo. Now they are the ones feeling the impact of the same policies they once celebrated.
According to data from the Miami Herald, ICE arrests in Doral rose from three in December 2025 to 17 in July 2026.
The city also signed an agreement with ICE in January 2026 that allows local police to collaborate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The impact on daily life is profound. The Venezuelan host Lisbeth Lovo explained to Telemundo 51 that she takes about six children to school every day because their parents are afraid to drive: "They want me to take their children to school, to take the mom to work, because they don't want to drive."
Local authorities have also raised their voices, albeit cautiously. Councilman Rafael Pineyro sent a letter to federal legislators from South Florida and declared: “My message is: let them complete their immigration process. It should be the immigration court and the immigration agents, in their respective cases, who make that decision.”
Pineyro also warned that some businesses in Doral are reporting up to a 70% drop in sales over the past month.
The mayor Christi Fraga acknowledged that "the issue we are currently facing regarding immigration has raised concerns about the economy of our city," although she did not openly question federal laws.
Homan, who served as the acting director of ICE during Trump's first term and was appointed "border czar" in November 2024 — a position that does not require Senate confirmation — had anticipated in May 2026 that "millions" of deportations would be necessary.
In July 2026, ICE recorded 49,571 arrests nationwide, the monthly record of Trump's second term, according to data analyzed by the AP agency.
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