<p class="wp-block-paragraph">White House border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday questioned why some Republicans are distancing themselves from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation operations, urging them to meet with the agency to discuss their concerns.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Several GOP candidates in competitive races for reelection, including Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), recently released advertisements distancing themselves from ICE’s deportation agenda.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Their move to appeal to more centrist voters comes as Republicans aim to avoid losses in the midterm elections. Homan criticized GOP members during a CBS interview, specifically addressing Salazar’s statement that Hispanics feel “betrayed” by President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign as a “bold statement.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Give me an example of where we went too far,” Homan said. “I wish they’d sit down and talk to ICE. I wish they’d find out: What is ICE doing? How are they doing it? And educate themselves.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite Salazar’s criticism, Trump later supported her, affirming his backing for her reelection bid. Salazar also mentioned that she had a “very good conversation” with Trump regarding the topic.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">De La Cruz’s advertisement featured a man she reportedly helped release from ICE custody, along with his wife. The woman commended the Texas congresswoman for addressing the “broken” immigration system and assisting her husband, stating, “I’ve voted Democrat before, but Monica puts people over politics.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bipartisan scrutiny of ICE increased earlier this year after two U.S. citizens were killed during the agency’s operations in Minnesota in January, raising concerns about the tactics used by federal agents.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When asked about Renee Good’s death at the hands of ICE officers in Minneapolis, which led to nationwide protests against ICE, Homan expressed regret over the incident.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The incidents involving Good and Alex Pretti, another U.S. citizen killed by ICE in Minneapolis in January, occurred during Kristi Noem’s leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Outrage over the killings contributed to Noem’s resignation and Markwayne Mullin’s appointment as DHS secretary. Meanwhile, Trump sent Homan to Minnesota earlier this year to help ease tensions in the state.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I don’t want to see any tragedies happen,” Homan stated this week. “I wish Renee Good was alive today. I wish that incident didn’t happen, but it happened, and it’s being investigated. I don’t want to see anybody die.”</p>