The former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Fox News Monday he thought about "beating" Illinois Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia when the two got into a heated exchange at a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Tom Homan, who previously served as acting ICE director under President Donald Trump, said he "broke" when Garcia "called me a racist" and "told me I didn't care about dying children" during a House Oversight Committee hearing Friday about immigration issues and the situation at the southern border.
"That's when I broke," said Homan, a Fox News contributor. "If you noticed, I hesitated a minute before I started yelling because I was actually thinking about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room. ... I had enough."
Homan didn't name Garcia, a Democrat from Chicago. But Homan referred to comments Garcia made during the hearing about how Homan "could possibly allow" family separation at the border.
"Do you not care? Is it because these children do not look like children that are around you? I don't get it. Have you ever held a deceased child in your arms?" Garcia asked Homan.
"First of all, your comments are disgusting," Homan angrily responded. " ... This is out of control. ... What I've been trying to do in my 34 years of serving the country is to save lives. So for you to sit there and insult my integrity, my love for my country and for children. ... I've seen many dead bodies coming across our border."
Homan clashed with other Democratic Representatives while defending the Trump administration policies. When New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Homan recommended family separation at the border, for example, Homan responded by saying he recommended zero tolerance, apparently in reference to migrants who cross the border illegally. He also noted that U.S. citizens who are arrested with children would also be separated from their children.
Garcia's office did not provide a response Monday to Homan's "beating" comment.
Rhetoric has become more heated on all sides around immigration issues as cities including Chicago brace for a large-scale ICE deportation enforcement campaign that Trump announced, prompting large protests.
