Tom Homan challenges CBS reporter over ICE detainee death data
Tom Homan, the White House’s border czar, faced CBS News immigration correspondent Camilo Montoya‑Galvez in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9, 2026, after the reporter asked how many detainees had died in ICE custody during the Trump administration. Montoya‑Galvez cited official ICE data showing 57 deaths so far this year and warned that 2026 could set a new record.
Homan immediately shifted the focus, asking, “How many people died during the Biden administration?” and repeated the question after a pause. Montoya‑Galvez answered that the number was “significant,” then admitted, “I don’t have the data here.” Homan called the query a “loaded question” against the Trump administration, emphasizing that ICE’s standards were among the highest in the industry.
During the interview, Homan highlighted that ICE’s detainee population had climbed to roughly 74,000, a figure he said reflected a doubling of people in custody. He argued that the agency’s deaths in custody were “among the lowest of any state prison or Bureau of Prisons,” attributing the increase in deaths to the larger population rather than systemic failures. He also asserted that ICE’s medical care saved lives, noting that the agency had spent “almost a billion dollars on medical care” while he was director.
The exchange drew commentary from former Trump administration official Theo Wold, who defended Homan’s approach and criticized Montoya‑Galvez for posing “gotcha questions” without backup data. Wold said the reporter’s line of questioning seemed intended to manufacture ideological sound bites rather than inform the public. He added that no administration could avoid in‑custody deaths and that higher enforcement under the Trump administration had simply resulted in more detainees and, consequently, more deaths.
Homan’s defense of ICE’s detention standards contrasted sharply with the reporter’s concern over the rising death toll. While Montoya‑Galvez pointed to a potential record of 57 deaths this year, Homan blamed the numbers on a larger detainee population and stressed the agency’s commitment to medical treatment and safety.
The interview ended without a clear answer to the Biden‑era death count, leaving observers to question the transparency of ICE’s data and the political framing of immigration enforcement under both administrations.
