U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Government Affiliate Director (EAD) of ICE Enforcement and Elimination Operations (ERO) Thomas D. Homan was one in every of three Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) profession executives who obtained a 2015 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service, which is bestowed to leaders who’ve achieved sustained extraordinary outcomes.
EAD Homan rose in his 31-year profession in regulation enforcement from a police officer in New York, to the pinnacle of ERO in 2013. EAD Homan serves as first-in-command of ERO ― the ICE operational directorate charged with investigating, apprehending and eradicating felony aliens and immigration violators from america, in addition to dismantling terrorist and felony organizations that exploit our borders and lawful immigration system.
EAD Homan’s management was tried and confirmed exemplary throughout unanticipated and extreme challenges in immigration enforcement. EAD Homan directed his work pressure of almost 8,000 (roughly 6,000 of whom are regulation enforcement officers) and managed an working finances of greater than $3 billion throughout a time of outstanding ERO development, unchartered immigration enforcement territory and decreased assets.
EAD Homan’s mixed information and expertise, together with his police pressure background and 30 years of immigration enforcement experience, resulted in his decisive and sound government management. EAD Homan led efforts to make sure neighborhood security. He marshalled efforts to deal with the surge of unaccompanied youngsters and household items from Central America who illegally entered america from throughout the Texas Rio Grande Valley. He spearheaded the administration and reform of the most important civil detention system within the nation.
ERO’s in depth accomplishments below the helm of EAD Homan have been spectacular and wide-reaching in scope.
- In Fiscal 12 months (FY) 2013, ERO accomplished full nationwide deployment of an authentic automated federal biometric info sharing functionality that resulted within the removing of greater than 325,000 felony aliens, of which 40 p.c had been convicted of an aggravated felony or a number of felonies.
- In FY 2014, ERO eliminated almost 316,000 people from america. An astounding 98 p.c of those removals fell inside one in every of ICE’s acknowledged enforcement priorities. Practically 56 p.c, or 177,960 of these eliminated, had been convicted felony aliens. (To place these numbers in perspective, the quantity of felony aliens faraway from U.S. communities in FY 2014 would fill the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium to capability greater than two occasions over. This success instantly impacted public security.)
- Within the three years that EAD Homan has been on the helm, ERO has eliminated greater than 920,000 aliens from america. In that very same timeframe, ERO arrested and eliminated 534,000 felony aliens. These accomplishments have a direct impression on nationwide safety and public security. Our communities are safer due to these accomplishments.
- In the course of the historic surge of unaccompanied youngsters (UAC) throughout the Southwest border in 2014, EAD Homan led ERO’s response to the disaster by means of main staffing redeployments, modern initiatives and different incident administration methods to facilitate the well timed switch of greater than 55,000 UACs into custody the of the Workplace of Refugee Resettlement, a rise of 145 p.c from FY 2013. The Homeland Safety Act of 2002 and the Trafficking Victims Safety Rehabilitation Act (TVPRA) of 2007 mandates that ICE switch the custody of UACs to ORR inside 72 hours, and EAD Homan labored tirelessly to make sure ERO complied with these legal guidelines.
- Additionally in response to the unprecedented variety of household items illegally crossing the border, EAD Homan efficiently led expedited efforts to develop household detention capability from 96 to greater than 3,000 beds, a rise of greater than 3,000 p.c.
- A number of different company data had been established in FY 2015 below the course of EAD Homan. Ninety-one p.c of all inside arrests by ERO had been aliens that had a felony conviction― an company report. Fifty-nine p.c of all aliens faraway from the U.S. by ERO had been convicted criminals ― one other company report. And at last, a report 98 p.c of FY 2015 removals met a number of of the civil immigration enforcement priorities, which constitutes a close to good execution of the acknowledged mission.
For all of those accomplishments and extra, EAD Homan obtained the nation’s highest civil service award – the 2015 Presidential Rank Award. The president bestows this award annually to prime profession government and senior professionals for constantly demonstrating energy, integrity and dedication to public service.
“I’m extraordinarily humbled by this award however I need to say that it’s the onerous work and dedication of the women and men of ERO who deserve the popularity,” stated EAD Homan.
“ERO is an enormous machine with many transferring elements and whether or not you serve in a assist place or are a regulation enforcement officer, everybody performs an essential position and the machine won’t carry out if any half fails. I can sit in DC and handle this system and develop methods all day lengthy. However it’s the 8,000 workers who put the plans into motion and trigger them to succeed. They’re the actual heroes. I’ve been in regulation enforcement for 31 years, and I’ve by no means been so honored to work with such a tough working bunch of individuals in my life. They get it executed on a regular basis.’”