Tom Homan Flattens CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Live TV [WATCH]

Tom Homan, the border czar under President Donald Trump, appeared on CNN Thursday night and strongly refuted claims made by host Kaitlan Collins regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a known MS-13 gang member, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The tense exchange followed renewed media criticism after Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador despite past court rulings and legal challenges.

Abrego Garcia illegally entered the United States in 2011. According to the Trump administration, two separate court rulings confirmed his membership in the violent transnational MS-13 gang.

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Those rulings formed the basis for his classification as both an illegal alien and a designated foreign terrorist, prompting his removal from the United States.

In 2019, an immigration judge allowed Abrego Garcia to remain in Maryland due to safety concerns if returned to El Salvador.

However, since then, conditions in El Salvador have shifted significantly, and President Nayib Bukele has launched a nationwide crackdown on gang violence, leading to the near-eradication of MS-13 in the country.

Despite the immigration judge’s 2019 ruling, the Trump administration proceeded with deportation, citing updated security assessments and Abrego Garcia’s designation as a terrorist.

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A subsequent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court directed the administration to “facilitate” his return to the U.S., following pressure from lower courts, including an Obama-appointed judge who urged federal authorities to not only facilitate but “effectuate” the return.

El Salvador, however, has refused to comply. President Bukele has publicly stated that he will not allow Abrego Garcia to return to the United States, and the gang member remains in Salvadoran custody.

During the CNN interview, Collins relied on the 2019 immigration ruling to criticize the administration’s actions. She asked Homan:

“What would you say to those who worry that the stance of this administration is that if someone is deported by accident, they have no responsibility once they’re in the custody of a foreign government?”

Homan responded:

“He’s in the custody of El Salvador; he’s an El Salvadoran national… The El Salvadoran president has made it clear he’s not going to release him.”

He also reiterated that the Department of Justice is handling the ongoing legal battle, and that future developments will be decided by the courts.

.@RealTomHoman cooks Fake News CNN’s @kaitlancollins (many such cases) on Kilmar Abrego Garcia:

“Two different federal judges said he’s an MS-13 member. A police department said he’s an MS-13 member. ICE data shows he’s an MS-13 member. El Salvador said he’s an MS-13 member.” pic.twitter.com/vUYbx4uor5

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 18, 2025

Collins pressed further, citing the 2019 ruling as evidence that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was improper.

“Even though it was an immigration judge that said the one place he can’t go is El Salvador, he could have been deported literally anywhere else…”

Homan quickly responded:

“We keep going back and back… That was years ago, the country was different. That gang no longer exists in El Salvador.”

The interview ended with no resolution but highlighted the ongoing conflict between the judiciary, the executive branch, and international partners over immigration enforcement involving foreign nationals tied to terrorism and organized crime.

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