President Trump’s newly reappointed “border czar” Tom Homan is raising alarms about the true scale of illegal immigration in the United States, arguing that the widely cited figure of 12 million undocumented immigrants is a significant undercount. Speaking at a press briefing, Homan points to vast stretches of unsecured territory in West Texas where there are neither physical barriers nor surveillance technology, leaving large portions of the U.S.-Mexico border effectively open and unmonitored.
Homan emphasizes that during the Biden Administration, thousands of individuals may have crossed into the country through these gaps without being detected. He warns that current estimates fail to account for this surge in so-called “gotaways” — individuals who evade Border Patrol and are not recorded in official statistics. According to Homan, the absence of a border wall or technological surveillance in West Texas makes it impossible to know exactly how many people have entered the country without detection, adding that “hundreds could cross and nobody would know.”
The warning comes as the national debate over immigration intensifies, with President Trump making border security a central pillar of his administration’s policies once again. Homan’s statements reinforce the administration’s narrative that restoring strict border enforcement measures is critical not just for national security but also for maintaining accurate data on immigration patterns.
Back history on the border security issue reveals that the figure of approximately 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants has been relatively consistent for over a decade, according to Pew Research and U.S. Census data. However, critics have long argued that these numbers are conservative estimates and do not adequately reflect uncounted entries, visa overstays, or migrants who successfully evade detection at the border. Under the Trump administration’s first term, efforts to build physical barriers, deploy advanced surveillance technology, and increase border patrols were among the highest priorities. During the Biden administration, border security policies were notably relaxed, leading to record levels of migrant encounters in several sectors, especially in Texas and Arizona.
Homan’s comments also come amid broader concerns about how an unsecured border could affect not only immigration numbers but also national security, human trafficking, and drug smuggling operations. His briefing is seen as laying the groundwork for new executive actions and legislative proposals aimed at strengthening border infrastructure and reinstating Trump-era enforcement measures.
The Biden administration has defended its border policies by emphasizing humanitarian considerations and legal immigration pathways, but critics, including Homan and other Trump allies, argue that the lack of enforcement has left vast regions vulnerable and undermined public confidence in the system.
As immigration remains a hot-button issue heading into the next election cycle, Homan’s stark warnings are likely to fuel further political battles over how America secures its borders and who ultimately counts in the national immigration debate.
