Tom Homan Says He Doesn't 'Give a Sh*t' if Branded 'a Nazi' as ICE Custody Death Toll Reaches 58: 'We're Not Gonna Apologise'

Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan declared that he does not 'give a sh*t' if opponents call him a racist or 'a Nazi', vowing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will expand operations rather than apologise as scrutiny mounts over deaths in custody and enforcement tactics.

Speaking at the Justice Department's first Attorney General's Summit on Victims of Violent Crime on Thursday, Homan defended ICE and promised intensified enforcement, particularly in so-called sanctuary cities.

'We're gonna keep pushing. We're not gonna apologise,' Homan said. 'You can hate us all you want. We're not going anywhere.' The Justice Department confirmed the summit took place on 24 September.

He later addressed criticism directed personally at him, saying opponents could call him 'a racist' or 'a Nazi'. 'Say what you want about me, I don't give a sh*t,' Homan said.

Homan Promises To 'Flood the Zone'

Homan said ICE would continue operating across the country and promised additional resources for jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

'We're gonna enforce the law without apology,' he said, adding that ICE would 'surge resources and flood the zone' in sanctuary cities.

His comments came amid heightened scrutiny of the agency following several recent enforcement incidents and a sharp increase in the number of people being held in immigration detention.

Homan did not mention deaths in ICE custody during the remarks, and there is no indication that his 'Nazi' comment was a direct response to the latest detainee death.

'At Least 58 Have Died in ICE Custody'

Days before Homan's speech, 36-year-old Costa Rican national Carlos Josué Marchena Marchena died after being found unresponsive at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana.

The Associated Press counts Marchena as at least the 58th person to die in ICE custody since Trump returned to office in January 2025.

Marchena had Type 1 diabetes. His sister, girlfriend and a detainee housed in an adjoining cell told the AP that he had complained about missed insulin injections, meals and insufficient water before his death.

ICE said Marchena's medical care was appropriate, saying he 'received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals'. His official cause of death remains pending.

Human Rights Watch reported in June that the mortality rate in ICE detention had more than doubled since Trump's second term began and had reached its highest level in more than a decade.

Watchdog Finds Millions Wasted on Detention Expansion

ICE is also facing criticism over the cost of its rapid detention expansion. A Government Accountability Office report released Thursday found that the agency spent roughly $1.07 billion buying 11 warehouses to convert into detention facilities without sufficient planning.

ICE later decided to sell seven of the properties after accumulating more than $20 million in costs that the government cannot recover.

The GAO called for 'urgent planning' to reduce further waste, while the Department of Homeland Security agreed that ICE should develop a comprehensive strategy.

Homan, however, gave no indication that criticism would slow the administration's enforcement campaign. 'You got my word on that,' he said after promising that ICE would continue operations nationwide.