Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Tuesday's Morning Joe, co-host Mika Brzezinski repeatedly confronted Border Czar Tom Homan with the case of a landscaper, Narciso Barranco, arrested by border agents back in June, but she did not divulge that he was caught on video attacking those agents with his weed-whacker. Homan also called her out for claiming that ICE has been "disappearing" people that it arrests and charged that the media are to blame for the harassment of ICE agents.
After Homan first complained about "hateful rhetoric and false stories," Brzezinski brought up the case of Barranco's arrest: "Um, Mr. Homan, how would you define a criminal? And I'm curious: Is a person who is living in this country, paying taxes, has a license, has a job, and has kids serving in the U.S. military, but is still in the process of getting legal papers -- is that person a criminal?"
Without informing viewers that Barranco resisted detention, she soon added: "So should that person be put in a car like surrounded by ICE agents wearing masks and dragged into a car and detained?"
MSNBC has repeatedly refused to show viewers video of Barranco swinging his weed-whacker at border agents.
After Homan responded, "I don't know the specifics of that case..." Brzezinski pressed:
That seems to be the answer for any case that has happened that you don't want to talk about because there are cases across the country where people who are paying taxes, who have licenses, who are in the process of trying to get legal papers -- are they criminals? Especially those who have kids who have served in the U.S. military? And, no, they're not a public safety hazard.
Brzezinski twice more tried to get him to disagree with the actions of the border agents who arrested Barranco.
Later in the segment, Brzezinksi also used the loaded term "disappeared" to describe ICE agents making arrests, leading Homan to reject her claims:
BRZEZINSKI: I'd love some transparency as to why a lot of these people have been disappeared. You say you have data -- we would love to see it. The American people should see this data.
HOMAN: Well, here's the rhetoric again, right? You just said, "disappeared." That is a ridiculous thing to say.
BRZEZINSKI: Why?
HOMAN: Because ICE is doing the same thing we've done for decades. But because of the last four years, ICE was not allowed to enforce the law.
Toward the end of the interview, Brzezinski claimed that she was accurately asserting that ICE agents had "disappeared" people as the two went back and forth again:
HOMAN: ...because of all these false narratives, and you using the term "disappearing people" --
BRZEZINSKI: Well, that's what's happened.
HOMAN: -- is disgusting.
BRZEZINSKI: That's what happened to the group that was sent to El Salvador.
HOMAN: It puts our -- people -- U.S. citizens -- U.S. citizens -- U.S. citizens get arrested every day. U.S. citizens get arrested by police every day -- are they being "disappeared"? No, they're --
BRZEZINSKI: No, they're being read their rights.
HOMAN: -- laws are being enforced. They're being arrested -- they're put in detention because they committed a criminal offense.
BRZEZINSKI: Not like what you're doing.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC's Morning Joe
September 9, 2025
9:27 a.m. Eastern
TOM HOMAN, BORDER CZAR: And the hateful rhetoric and the false stories are causing an attack on these men and women. I want people to remember, the men and women of ICE -- they're mothers and fathers, too. They don't hang their heart on a hook when they go to work. They strap a gun to the hip -- they put the Kevlar vest on to arrest the worst of the worst and make this country safer.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Um, Mr. Homan, how would you define a criminal? And I'm curious: Is a person who is living in this country, paying taxes, has a license, has a job, and has kids serving in the U.S. military, but is still in the process of getting legal papers -- is that person a criminal?
HOMAN: Look, every case is different, but when I --
BRZEZINSKI: I'm asking about that case.
HOMAN: No, I, well, let me --
BRZEZINSKI: Because there's been that case.
HOMAN: No, they are not -- from what you just told me, they're not public safety threat. However, if they're in the country illegally, that is not okay either.
BRZEZINSKI: So should that person be put in a car like surrounded by ICE agents wearing masks and dragged into a car and detained?
HOMAN: I don't know the specifics of that case, but let me say this.
BRZEZINSKI: That seems to be the answer for any case that has happened that you don't want to talk about because there are cases across the country where people who are paying taxes, who have licenses, who are in the process of trying to get legal papers -- are they criminals? Especially those who have kids who have served in the U.S. military? And, no, they're not a public safety hazard.
HOMAN: Are you going to let me answer the question?
BRZEZINSKI: Yes, sir.
HOMAN: I don't know the facts of that case. I don't know what you're talking about. I have to look at the facts of the case, However, I will say this: If they're in the country illegally, that is not okay. And people think illegal immigration is a victimless crime, and it's not.
BRZEZINSKI: Are they criminals?
HOMAN: I don't know the case -- I don't know if they're a public safety threat.
(...)
HOMAN: And the people that are doing things the right way are sitting on the back seat while we have millions of people coming across the border in the Biden administration and cheated the system. People can call them "asylum seekers" all they want, but if you look at immigration court data, nearly nine out of 10 people who claim asylum at the border under Biden end up with an order of removal because they don't qualify for asylum.
(...)
BRZEZINSKI: Is it fair to say that if someone is in the process of trying to get their paperwork straight and they have kids who have served in the U.S. military, and they're paying taxes, and they have a license, is it fair to say that that person is not a threat to society and not a criminal?
HOMAN: Do they have a criminal history? Have you seen the intelligence?
BRZEZINSKI: I'm just asking: Do you consider someone who is trying to get their papers now, struggling, and has kids who serve in the military, has a license and pay taxes -- is that in your mind a criminal? Is that someone you want your ICE agents to take off the street?
(...)
BRZEZINSKI: I'd love some transparency as to why a lot of these people have been disappeared. You say you have data -- we would love to see it. The American people should see this data.
HOMAN: Well, here's the rhetoric again, right? You just said, "disappeared." That is a ridiculous thing to say.
BRZEZINSKI: Why?
HOMAN: Because ICE is doing the same thing we've done for decades. But because of the last four years, ICE was not allowed to enforce the law -- ICE was told to sit back and, "You can't arrest an illegal alien for simply being here illegally. You got to wait till they commit a serious crime and get convicted of that crime." That's what Secretary Mayorkas's instructions were, and that's why you saw so much -- so much crime in this country coming from the illegal alien population because there was no law enforcement. But we're doing the same thing right now that we've done since I started back in 1984. ICE agents are enacting the laws passed by Congress -- they are appropriately enforcing these laws. If you don't like what ICE is doing, then go protest Congress.
However, to say we "disappear" people, no, we're arresting people that are in the country illegally and are a public safety threat, we know exactly who we are going to arrest when we go look for them, we have a case file in front of us -- we have all those facts. This is not disappearing people -- this is plain, targeted enforcement operations that we're doing. And comments like what you just made is one of the reasons why these men and women are under threat every day -- not just the men and women in ICE but their spouses and their children. They're not disappearing people -- they're enforcing the law.
(...)
BRZEZINSKI: I just want to know, what ICE agents, out in the field right now, what they consider to be a criminal? Is that someone who has committed a crime like robbed a store? Or what about Narciso Barranco -- the father of three Marines who was cutting bushes at an IHOP before they took him off the street?
(...)
BRZEZINSKI: I would argue that actually that the ICE vehicle parked outside a Spanish mass is a frightening sight, given what has happened in this country. I also -- with respect, sir -- thank you for the information that you have shared on this show, but we would appreciate all of the information -- all of it -- all of the data that you say you have.
HOMAN: I've done this show several times. Every time I'm on this show, I speak with integrity, I speak with honesty, and I speak with facts. The bottom line is --
BRZEZINSKI: We would love all of them.
HOMAN: -- because of all these false narratives, and you using the term "disappearing people" --
BRZEZINSKI: Well, that's what's happened.
HOMAN: -- is disgusting.
BRZEZINSKI: That's what happened to the group that was sent to El Salvador.
HOMAN: It puts our -- people -- U.S. citizens -- U.S. citizens -- U.S. citizens get arrested every day. U.S. citizens get arrested by police every day -- are they being "disappeared"? No, they're --
BRZEZINSKI: No, they're being read their rights.
HOMAN: -- laws are being enforced. They're being arrested -- they're put in detention because they committed a criminal offense.
BRZEZINSKI: Not like what you're doing.
HOMAN: That's -- no.
BRZEZINSKI: Not even close.
HOMAN: We're enforcing the law and arresting people here in violation of the law that are public safety threats -- that's not disappearing people. That's enforcing the laws of this country and making this country safer.
