Homan says he is willing to put Denver mayor ‘in jail’ over deportation position

Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s pick for “border czar,” said he is willing to put Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) in jail over his vow to protect migrants in the city after Trump promised a mass of deportations — particularly in sanctuary cities — when he returns to the White House.

“All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S. and he would see he’s breaking the law,” Homan, the former director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said of Johnston in an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity.

“But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail,” he added.

Johnston said in an earlier interview with Denverite that he would use the city’s police force to stop federal forces from deporting migrants. In an interview Friday with 9News, he walked back those comments but said he believes local citizens will help stop the planned deportations.

When asked if sanctuary cities are breaking the law by limiting or preventing their local authorities from cooperating with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws, Homan said yes and outlined the Trump administration’s plan to respond.

“We are going to go do the job. President Trump has a mandate for the American people. We’ve got to secure this country, and we have to save American lives,” he told Hannity.

“President Trump has been clear: We want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats,” Homan continued. “And I find it shocking that any mayor of the city would say they don’t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods.”

His remarks follow previous comments in which he threatened to cut funding from states that refuse to cooperate in the federal government’s deportation plans.

Trump transition team spokesperson and incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt has also said the president-elect “will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families.”

The president-elect has also suggested his administration would use military assets to support his deportation pledge.

In response to Homan’s remarks, Johnston told The Hill in a statement that Denver respects “the law and enforce it without fear or favor across every inch of our city.”

“If Donald Trump tries to break the law and abuse his power, he will get no help from us,” he continued. “Denver is proud to be a welcoming city, and we will do everything in our power to protect those who live here.”

“We are considering a number of options to strengthen protections for all our residents, and we continue to provide education about the rights of our immigrant community so they can best protect themselves from any unlawful actions,” the mayor added.

Updated at 11:02 a.m. EST.