Logo

President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan plans to meet with the cops in Rochester, New York, who were scolded by leaders of the sanctuary city for assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, he told The Post.

Local cops were ripped for responding to the scene of an ICE operation last week and helping to get eight suspected illegal migrants out of a van and into cuffs when they started resisting federal agents.

Homan didn’t say when his planned visit to Rochester would take place.


  Border czar Tom Homan said Friday that he stands firmly behind the Rochester cops who rushed to the aid of ICE agents.
  
Getty Images Border czar Tom Homan said Friday that he stands firmly behind the Rochester cops who rushed to the aid of ICE agents. Getty Images

The former ICE chief’s planned visit follows his recent “private” meeting with the president and lawyer of the local police union, the Rochester Police Locust Club, where he offered “his unwavering support and encouragement to the men and women of the [Rochester Police Department],” the group said Friday.

“I stand with the officers of the Rochester, New York Police Department that answered the emergency assistance call from the U.S. Border Patrol,’’ Homan tweeted after the meeting.

“That is the way it should be. Law enforcement officers should not be abandoned in the time of need because of politics.

“Sanctuary policies endanger our police and the public. … Help is coming!” he vowed.

The ICE arrests in Rochester are part of “enhanced targeted operations in parts of New York, to enforce U.S. immigration law,” an agency spokesperson said.

The local officers were called to the scene by federal agents, who asked for emergency police assistance during the traffic stop.


  Democratic Mayor Malik Evans admonished the Rochester cops who assisted ICE in a recent federal immigration operation. WHAM Democratic Mayor Malik Evans admonished the Rochester cops who assisted ICE in a recent federal immigration operation. WHAM

But local leaders were quick to condemn their own cops for stepping in to assist the feds.

“City police officers do not help or participate in federal immigration activities,” said Democratic Mayor Malik Evans.

Police Chief David Smith also slammed his own officers.

“From watching the body-worn camera footage, what is concerning to me is despite the fact that we were called, we went lights and sirens,” said Smith.


  City leaders held a press conference Wednesday, condemning Rochester police officers who assisted ICE. WHAM City leaders held a press conference Wednesday, condemning Rochester police officers who assisted ICE. WHAM

“We are not to be handcuffing subjects” in those circumstances, he said. “We are not to be doing pat frisks on subjects, and we are absolutely not going to be detaining them or putting them into our cars.”

Rochester Police Locust Club President Geoffrey Wiater told The Post the officers involved are now “very very upset” with their local leadership for criticizing their actions.

Wiater also claimed the cops “had no idea what was going on” when the feds called for “emergency” assistance.

“They were only going there to assist another agency without knowing the details or anything about what was going on. And then they get called out and villainized by the mayor and the police chief for what they did,” he said.

“These officers did nothing wrong, it’s really egregious. And I think that the chief and the mayor owe all our members and our officers a public apology on this.”

Rochester adopted its sanctuary city resolution in 1986 and reaffirmed the order in 2017, while the city’s police department is prohibited from enforcing federal immigration laws under a separate provision, according to local WABC affiliate WHAM.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy