President-elect Donald J. Trump said late on Sunday that he had named Thomas D. Homan, a senior immigration official in his last administration, as the “border czar” in charge of the nation’s borders and its maritime and aviation security.

Trump made the announcement in a brief post on his social media platform, Truth Social, that did not provide other details on Homan’s new job.

“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders,” Trump wrote in the post. “Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”

Trump made a broad crackdown on immigration a pillar of his presidential campaign, but it is so far unclear what that would look like or what his presidency will mean for immigrants in the US.

One major question is whether the new administration will implement large-scale worksite raids that could lead to the arrest of unauthorized workers. Homan said on CBS’s 60 Minutes last month that such raids, which have not been conducted under President Joe Biden, would resume under the new administration. Trump takes office on January 20.

Homan was named acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2017, and he has decades of experience in immigration enforcement. He was a police officer, a US Border Patrol agent and a special agent with the former Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

Trump’s announcement was the latest clue into who will be his cabinet members and advisers. On Thursday, Trump named Susie Wiles, who has run his political operation, as his White House chief of staff. On Saturday he said that he would not invite Nikki Haley, his former ambassador to the UN, or Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of state, to join the new administration.

Senate appointees

Senators vying to become the next leader of the Republican conference pledged on Sunday to quickly push throughTrump’s appointees after he demanded on social media that they do so.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida was the first to make such a vow. Scott quickly picked up the endorsement of Elon Musk.

Not to be outdone, Senator John Thune of South Dakota released a statement saying that he, too, would push to swiftly staff Trump’s administration.

New York Times News Service