Border Czar Tom Homan responded Tuesday night to actions taken by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, following the announcement of a congressional investigation into whether the mayor attempted to obstruct federal immigration enforcement operations.

Homan, appearing on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, said that the federal government will not hesitate to escalate enforcement efforts in cities that actively impede U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees opened a formal investigation Monday into Mayor O’Connell after he allegedly aided and abetted illegal immigrants by obstructing ICE activity in Nashville.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

The probe was prompted by an executive order issued by O’Connell that requires all city employees and first responders to report communication with immigration authorities to his office.

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) confirmed the investigation during a press conference and stated that congressional committees will request all communications, internal discussions, and relevant documents regarding the order.

The committees are also seeking records of correspondence between city staff and non-governmental organizations concerning the arrest or protection of illegal immigrants.

With the support of the House Judiciary Committee, I will be formally requesting all documents and communications from the Mayor’s office related to:

– The amendment of Executive Order 30—an outrageous directive requiring Nashville employees and first responders to report all… pic.twitter.com/BGv8uocsTk

— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 26, 2025

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

O’Connell’s order has been criticized by federal officials who argue it creates an unnecessary barrier to cooperation with immigration enforcement.

During her Fox News segment, host Laura Ingraham warned Homan to expect “caterwauling from the open borders crowd.”

Homan responded by drawing a parallel between O’Connell’s actions and recent comments from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who warned of “consequences” if members of Congress were targeted during ICE enforcement efforts at a Newark facility earlier this year.

“Just a couple weeks ago, AOC went on social media saying if we put a finger on any of her coworkers or congress people that were at our Newark facility, there’d be consequences,” Homan said.

“Well, guess what? We did it. I’m waiting on the consequences. But you know, the mayor is no different.”

He continued, “I’ve said from day one, you cannot cooperate with ICE if that’s what you want to do, but you can’t get in our way, and you can’t impede our efforts. Or you cross that line, we will seek prosecution.”

Homan went on to announce plans to escalate ICE operations in Nashville and other sanctuary cities.

“We’re going to flood the zone with agents—multi-agency: FBI, DEA, ICE, U.S. Marshals,” he said.

“If he wants to push back and support sanctuary cities, that means we flood the zone. We’ll flood the zone in the neighborhood to find the bad guy. We’ll flood the zone at work sites to find the bad guy.”

Ingraham asked whether Mayor O’Connell’s actions could rise to the level of criminal obstruction of ICE operations. Homan replied that it would depend on the outcome of the investigation.

“We’ll see. I know Homeland Oversight is opening up a congressional investigation. I cannot confirm or deny if ICE is investigating him, but we’ll see where it plays out. It isn’t just what he says, it’s what he does,” Homan said, adding that he plans to visit Nashville personally.

“He ought to be thanking ICE,” Homan said, referencing recent arrests in Nashville that included sex offenders, violent criminals, gang members, and repeat deportees.

“We made his street safer. A thank you would be nice, not attacking the men and women of ICE.”

This latest development follows similar tensions in other Democrat-led jurisdictions.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was charged with assaulting federal officers during an incident outside an ICE detention facility, where she and other elected officials reportedly interfered with an ongoing enforcement operation.

Homan, appointed as Border Czar under President Donald Trump, has led renewed efforts to enforce federal immigration law and target jurisdictions that seek to limit cooperation with ICE.

His message to officials resisting those efforts remains consistent: obstruction will not be tolerated.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of RVM News. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.