Press Releases
Congresswoman Escobar Reacts to Tom Homan Speaking at UTEP
Washington, D.C.,
November 17, 2025
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Abbey Thompson
(202-225-4831)
Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in reaction to White House Border Czar Tom Homan’s invitation to speak at UTEP in December: “UTEP’s embrace of right-wing politics in the last few years has been alarming and is unreflective of El Paso. As a loving, welcoming community, the invitation of Tom Homan is contrary to the values most El Pasoans hold dear.
“Homan has been one of the chief architects of the Trump administration’s cruel, hardline mass deportation tactics. Despite promises to go after the ‘worst of the worst,’ their efforts have done little but terrorize families, including mixed-status families, households with immigrants who have been in the country for decades, parents of U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens themselves. And all of it has come with a significant emotional and financial cost to Americans.
“While I believe in productive debate and genuine conversation, I’m disappointed and ashamed that the leadership at UTEP is amplifying someone who is actively engaged in demonizing many of those who attend UTEP like DREAMERs, individuals in mixed-status families and first generation Americans, all of whom have long considered UTEP to be a safe place. Attendees should expect a white-washed, ugly rewriting of recent history.” The university’s invitations of figures like former Vice President Mike Pence and Tom Homan have conspicuously occurred after senior leadership at UTEP intensely pushed back on hosting an event with Congresswoman Escobar and the Biden administration to celebrate the institution’s National Science Foundation grant award in 2024, claiming it would be a ‘political' event. About Tom Homan Tom Homan has a dishonorable history. Recent reporting details a lack of ethical judgement, corrupt behavior, and an eager willingness to execute the Trump administration’s cruel, un-American agenda. He played a central role in lobbying Republicans in Congress to syphon billions in taxpayer dollars to fund astronomically high levels for ICE, including the $1.24 billion detention camp in El Paso, which houses immigrants in inhumane conditions. In February 2025, it was reported that Homan met several times with a right-wing activist with ties to the Proud Boys about the Trump administration’s deportation plans in Chicago. He was also a consultant for GEO Group, one of the private prison companies that has received millions in federal contracts from the Trump administration for the immigration enforcement. Most recently, Tom Homan was recorded by the FBI as part of an undercover operation accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the undercover agents — who were posing as business executives — win government contracts in a second Trump administration. The investigation was shut down by the FBI and Justice Department after a Trump Justice Department appointee called the case a “deep state” probe in early 2025. He also attacked the Catholic church – including El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz – for the criticism of his inhumane deportation tactics.
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