Tom Homan — the border czar for President Donald Trump — defended using tattoos as justification for migrant deportations, when confronted by ABC’s Jonathan Karl.

In a testy exchange on ABC’s This Week, Karl quizzed Homan about the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador without his being convicted of a crime.

“Do you have any qualms about sending people to that notorious prison in El Salvador with no assurance that they will ever have a chance to get out?” Karl asked. “People that have no record, have not been convicted of any violent crimes. Do you have any qualms about that?”

“I believe we’re removing public safety threats and terrorists, designated terrorists, to that prison in El Salvador,” Homan said. “Tren de Aragua, MS-13 have been designated terrorist organizations. What you don’t know, what most readers don’t know, they haven’t seen or experienced what I’ve seen in my 40 years. I started working in 1984. I’ve talked to young girls as young as 9 who were raped by members of these gang cartels.

“I’ve held dead bodies throughout my career. I’ve talked to hundreds of angel moms and dads whose children were killed and brutally murdered by members of MS-13 who just didn’t kill them, they mutilated them, they tortured them. So if people wore my shoes for the last 40 years, and seen the travesties I’ve seen, they would understand that the worst of the worst need to be sent to a prison like that.”

“And you’re saying there’s no mistakes, no mistakes that everybody sent to this prison, again, with no guarantee of any right to have a chance to challenge their imprisonment, any prospect of release?” Karl replied.

“You need to read the Alien Enemies Act,” Homan shot back. “We follow the Alien Enemies Act, and you’re talking like it’s a Title 8 removal. This isn’t a Title 8 removal. That’s a different procedure written into law by Congress, Alien Enemies Act.”

Karl specifically took umbrage with the notion that a migrant could be deported because of a “bad tattoo.”

“I mean, you acknowledge tattoos are part of the calculation here?” Karl said.

“That’s one factor of many factors.” Homan said. “Have you, have you been in an alien gang squad? ‘Cause I have. Tattoos are one of many factors that’s going to determine someone’s in a gang. That’s not the only one…Tattoo’s one factor that adds to other factors that makes that determination. What I’m saying is you can’t ignore a tattoo.”

“In other words, the Alien Enemies Act means you can grab somebody and you can deport them without an extended hearing, because you have labeled them a terrorist, because you’ve said — you’ve determined that somebody is a member of the gang, and therefore they don’t have to go through the extended process of the opportunity to have a full hearing?” Karl said. “That’s what you’re saying. I mean, let’s just be clear.”

“I’m saying we’re following the laws of this country,” Homan replied. “There’s a different procedure for each one. We’re doing things within the frame of the law. We’re doing things legally. I stand by that.”

Watch above, via ABC.

The post ‘You Can’t Ignore a Tattoo!’ Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Defends Tattoos as Grounds for Deportations in Testy Exchange With ABC’s Karl first appeared on Mediaite.

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