Photo from Tom's service with the Obama administration.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Former Acting Director of ICE, Thomas Winkowski, and Alejandro Mayorkas (the current Secretary of Homeland Security in the Biden administration)
The real story—with real solutions
From a police officer to Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tom’s career has spanned four decades and six presidential administrations.
His focus never wavered—
to save lives and help communities thrive.
Tom Homan began his long, distinguished career as a Police Officer in New York before joining the United States Border Patrol as a Border Patrol Agent. He then became a Special Agent with the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) which later would become US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He climbed the ranks to Supervisory Special Agent, Deputy Assistant District Director for Investigations, Assistant District Director for Investigations, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, and Special Agent in Charge.
He was then promoted to ICE Headquarters to the Assistant Director for Enforcement, to Deputy Executive Associate Director, and to the Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations.
In January 2017 he was named the Acting Director of ICE by President Donald Trump and later nominated to that position until his retirement in July of 2018.
Tom was the first Director of ICE who worked his way up through the ranks, from the literal front lines to the head of the agency. He is the most decorated ICE Director in history, and has received awards from both President Obama and President Trump.
He is also proud to have successfully served under six U.S. Presidents.
In 2015, President Obama awarded Tom the Presidential Rank Award for accomplishments in immigration enforcement, which is the highest award available for a Senior Executive Service members. The Presidential Rank Award honors high-performing senior career employees for sustained extraordinary accomplishment, results, and consistent demonstration of integrity and excellence in public service.
Tom received the Distinguished Service Medal in June 2018 from President Trump in recognition of exceptionally distinguished and transformational service to strengthen Homeland Security for the United States.
In 2018 he received the Law Enforcement Person of the Year Award from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents over 26,000 federal law enforcement officers.
Tom received the Man of the Year Award in November of 2019 by Blue Magazine, a law enforcement publication created by and managed by law enforcement career professionals.
In January 2020, he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Trump for distinguished achievement in the field of national security through exceptionally meritorious service.
Tom Homan is from northern New York State. He holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
He served as a Police Officer in West Carthage, NY before joining the United States Border Patrol in 1984.
Homan served as a Border Patrol Agent, an Investigator, a Special Agent, a Supervisor Special Agent, Assistant Director Director of Investigations, an Assistant Special Agent in Charge, a Deputy Special Agent in Charge, and a Special Agent in Charge before being named to the Executive Associate Director of ICE at Headquarters in Washington DC during the Obama administration in 2013.
Homan was appointed Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 30, 2017 by President Donald Trump and later nominated to that position by President Trump in November of 2017. He subsequently retired in June of 2018.
He started at the bottom rung of the law enforcement ladder in 1984 and made it to the top in 2017, without missing a single rung. Mr. Homan was the first ICE Director who came up through the ranks, his proudest career accomplishment.
In 2015 President Obama gave Tom the highest professional award possible, the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, for his exemplary leadership and extensive accomplishments in the area of immigration enforcement. He also was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 2018 by the Trump Administration in recognition of exceptionally distinguished and transformational service to strengthen Homeland Security for the United States.
Again in 2018, he was awarded the Law Enforcement Person of the Year Award from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), which represents over 26,000 federal law enforcement officers. In November of 2019, Homan received the Man of the Year Award by Blue Magazine, a law enforcement publication created by and managed by law enforcement career professionals.
In January 2020, he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Trump for distinguished achievement in the field of national security through exceptionally meritorious service.