[4][6] In 1984, Homan joined what was then called the Immigration and Naturalization Service, serving as a Border Patrol agent, investigator, and supervisor.
[6] By 2014 under the Obama administration, Homan had begun to argue that separating children from their caregivers would be an effective means of discouraging illegal border crossings.
He argued that this fact made separation an effective tool for immigration enforcement: “I’d be lying to you if I didn’t think that would have an effect.”[2] In 2015, President Obama gave him a Presidential Rank Award as a Distinguished Executive.
[9][10][11][12][13] In May 2017, Homan announced ICE had arrested 41,319 people between Inauguration Day and the end of April, a 38% increase from the same period the year before.
[18] In April 2018, he and Kevin McAleenan formally advised Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to implement the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration, including the prosecution of parents and the separation of children from their families.
[2] On June 5, 2018, Homan appeared for a discussion with the policy director of the Center for Immigration Studies, where he defended the separation of children from their parents.
[26] Homan joined the Heritage Foundation in February 2022 and became a contributor to its Project 2025, which proposes mass arrests, detentions and deportations of illegal immigrants across the nation, though his name is not listed on any specific chapter or policy ideas.
[27][28][29] In November 2022, Homan launched a border-focused project called "Defend the Border and Save Lives" in collaboration with the United West, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-Muslim hate group.
The project, which shares staff and an address with the United West, held a fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago that month, and has been criticized for promoting inflammatory rhetoric about immigration and Muslims.
[37] In February 2025, Hatewatch reported that Homan met multiple times with Proud Boys' associate Terry Newsome.