Border Czar Tom Homan has criticized Virginia’s newly elected Governor, Abigail Spanberger, who has been likened to a ‘Bond villain’ by the Trump administration. This comparison comes after Governor Spanberger moved to limit ICE enforcement activities.
During a podcast appearance on Thursday, Homan expressed his intent to counteract Governor Spanberger’s executive orders. These orders, signed on her first day in office, align with a liberal agenda that Homan opposes.
Among the most contentious of Spanberger’s directives is one that reduces the state’s cooperation with ICE, challenging former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“From the very beginning, I’ve stated my position clearly,” Homan remarked. “We are deploying thousands of agents to sanctuary cities. We have no choice because some public safety threats have been released onto the streets.”
Homan also committed to increasing resources in Virginia, asserting that the new state administration’s policies complicate federal immigration enforcement efforts.
The border czar promised to devote more resources to Virginia now that the new administration ‘makes our job harder.’
He added that liberal governors like Spanberger ‘set the stage’ but his team are going to do their job regardless, as they have in places like New York, California, Oregon and Illinois.
‘They’re not going to stop us. They can stand on the sidelines and watch. Shame on them, but they’re not going to stop us from doing this mission.’
Homan expressed frustration because there are simple ways in which having the cooperation of governors makes his job easier.
Border Czar Tom Homan ripped into new Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger but said he’ll work around her attempts to throttle Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (pictured) signed a liberal wish list on her first day in office, drawing heavy criticism from Republicans
‘If they work with us — I mean, one agent can arrest one illegal alien in a county jail,’ he said.
‘Give us access to the person that you locked in a jail cell, and they’re in the country illegally. When you’re done, you give them to us. That’s the most efficient way to do it. But when you are knowingly going to release public safety threats in the community, now we’ve got to send a whole team out looking for them.’
Homan noted that he’s especially disappointed with Spanberger as a Virginia resident, echoing complaints of his fellow conservatives that thought she campaigned as a moderate.
‘I remember her campaign ads. “I’m a law enforcement officer. I rescued children from sex trafficking.” I’ve seen the commercials,’ Homan said.
‘So, first day in office, she stops being a law enforcement officer and became a politician because where’s all those commercials you did about supporting law enforcement and rescuing kids?’
Homan added that he respects Spanberger for serving as a CIA officer before her career in Washington but doesn’t see them getting along while she’s in office.
‘I hope we can work together, but it doesn’t look good,’ Homan said.
Spanberger stormed to a blowout victory in November over sitting Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in a momentum boost for Democrats.
The border czar promised to devote more resources to Virginia now that the new administration ‘makes our job harder’
Homan expressed frustration because there are simple ways in which having the cooperation of governors makes his job easier
She is the first female governor in Virginia history, succeeding Glenn Youngkin, who rode frustration with the Biden administration to power back in 2021.
Her victory – along with that of Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey – was seen as a boost for Democrats in a state that has become increasingly competitive in recent years.
However, many conservatives have been horrified by some of Spanberger’s first week executive orders, which includes reducing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Spanberger campaigned on the order.
She also signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination in employment ‘to foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and mutual respect for all Virginians.’
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who is currently investigating anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota, wrote: ‘She’s like a Bond villain.’
The Lepanto Institute, a conservative Catholic organization, compared Spanberger to the White Witch from the Narnia series, writing: ‘A long winter without Christmas has come to Virginia.’
The Spectator at Large Editor Ben Domenech added: ‘It’s like the CIA built the perfect Karen in a lab.’
Meanwhile, conservative journalist Greg Price noted what the state legislature is planning to put at Spanberger’s desk, which reads like a liberal wish list.
Many conservatives have been horrified by some of Spanberger’s first week executive orders, which includes reducing cooperation with ICE
They include sales taxes on the likes of Amazon and Uber Eats, several new tax brackets, banning gas-powered leaf blowers, expanding ranked-choice voting and getting rid of Columbus Day.
Democrats in the statehouse have vowed to work with Spanberger to push through their bullish agenda, which includes redrawing the state´s congressional district map ahead of the midterm elections this year.
The state Democrats picked up 13 seats in the House of Delegates a year after the party´s stunning losses nationwide in the 2024 presidential election.
Spanberger defended her executive orders in a statement on social media, writing that they ‘respond to the moment.’
‘We’re setting the tone for what Virginians can expect over the next four years: pragmatic leadership focused on lowering costs, growing our economy, and making sure that every parent knows that their child is set up for success,’ she said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Governor Spanberger for further comment.
Spanberger ran on a vow to protect Virginia´s economy from the aggressive tactics of Trump´s administration.
On the trail, she spoke of the White House´s gutting the civil service, the rising costs of goods and changes impacting the state´s already fragile health care system.
In a thinly veiled dig at the president, Spanberger said it was time for Virginians to fix what was broken.
‘I know many of you are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington,’ she said. ‘You are worried about policies that are hurting our communities, cutting health care access, imperiling rural hospitals and driving up costs.’
Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial elections are often seen as bellwethers for national political sentiment, and Spanberger’s comfortable margin over Earle-Sears suggested Democrats may be better positioned heading into next year’s midterm elections, which will help determine the trajectory of the final years of Trump’s presidency.
