Tom Homan, the U.S. Border Patrol’s “border czar,” met with the Rochester police union on Friday to express his full backing after local officers were criticized by the city’s “sanctuary” policies for assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop.
Following the meeting, Homan tweeted his support: “I stand with the officers of the Rochester, New York Police Department that answered the emergency assistance call from the U.S Border Patrol.”
He continued, “That is the way it should be. Law enforcement officers should not be abandoned in the time of need because of politics.”
Homan added that “Sanctuary policies endanger our police and the public. … Help is coming!”
Homan’s remarks came amid mounting criticism of Rochester’s mayor and police chief, who had both publicly condemned the officers who came to the aid of federal agents requesting emergency assistance during the traffic stop.
The incident occurred when the officers responded to a scene where about eight people were in a van, and they were not immediately cooperating with the ICE agents.
The officers helped remove the individuals from the van and restrained them.
While the reason for the van’s stop remains unclear, Mayor Malik Evans criticized the officers, stating, “City police officers do not help or participate in federal immigration activities.”
Rochester Police Chief David Smith also rebuked his officers. “From watching the body-worn camera footage, what is concerning to me is despite the fact that we were called, we went lights and sirens,” he said. “We are not to be handcuffing subjects in those circumstances. We are not to be doing pat frisks on subjects, and we are absolutely not going to be detaining them or putting them into our cars.”
On Friday afternoon, the Rochester Police Locust Club union tweeted that its president and lawyer had met privately with Homan, who “offered his unwavering support and encouragement to the men and women of the [Rochester Police Department]!”
According to a tweet from Spectrum TV, Homan may even visit Rochester to demonstrate his support for the officers’ actions.
Neither the police union, the Rochester Police Department, nor Homan’s office responded to requests for comment from The Post on Friday.
However, local politicians were vocal about the situation.
State Senator George Borrello, a Republican whose district includes Rochester, expressed his anger to The Post, saying, “It’s outrageous that the Rochester chief of police didn’t back up his cops. He should be replaced.”
Borrello also criticized the mayor, stating, “That’s something you expect from far-left politicians — not the chief of police.”
He added, “The cops did what they should have done. The sanctuary policies are part of the problem. These politicians have turned Rochester into a crime-ridden hellhole. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt also issued a statement Friday, alleging that Evans had reprimanded the officers in a department-wide email and initiated an investigation to punish them for assisting ICE agents. Ortt condemned the city leaders, calling them “criminal-coddling,” and stated, “For elected officials to condemn these brave men and women for upholding their oath in order to score political points is abhorrent and sets a dangerous precedent that could result in future injury or far worse.”
Kevin Leckinger, a representative for the police union, also expressed concern, saying, “This incident shines an unfortunate light on the creep of politics into the arena of law enforcement.”
He emphasized that “Our members didn’t violate any law or policy, and aren’t driven by a political agenda.”
ICE issued a statement saying, “On March 24, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, began conducting enhanced targeted operations in parts of New York, to enforce U.S. immigration law. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
Rochester’s sanctuary city status, which was first adopted in 1986 and reaffirmed in 2017, prevents the police from enforcing federal immigration laws, according to WHAM.
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