Do You Support Tom Homan Arresting Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs? The Viral Claim Is False — Here's What He Actually Said

Do You Support Tom Homan Arresting Arizona Gov. Katie

 Hobbs? The Viral Claim Is False — Here's What He Actually

 Said

In a single day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made three arrests in Minnesota that should have every parent in America paying close attention — and every sanctuary politician in that state answering some very hard questions.

Three men. Three convictions. All involving crimes against children so horrific, the details are difficult to read. These are not jaywalkers. These are not people caught up in some broad sweep. These are convicted predators who had been walking freely through American communities — communities where children live, go to school, and play.

One of these men was a convicted rapist. His victim was five years old.

The arrests happened April 14. But thanks to Minnesota's sanctuary policies and politicians who have spent months actively blocking ICE from accessing their jails, agents had to find these men the hard way — on the streets.
President Trump and his team are not letting up. While state leaders fight to protect their sanctuary status, ICE is out there doing the work those politicians refuse to do.

The full details on all three arrests — including the nationalities, the specific charges, and what DHS is saying about Minnesota's uncooperative leadership 

The meme you're seeing — with Tom Homan on the right, Gov. Katie Hobbs on the left, and a crowd at the border behind them — asks: "Do you support Tom Homan saying that he will arrest Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs if she blocks deportations?"

It's driving millions of views on Facebook and X. It's also misleading.

The short answer, according to Arizona fact-checkers: No. Tom Homan has not directly threatened to arrest Katie Hobbs.

What the fact check found

Though "border czar" Tom Homan has expressed support for the investigation or prosecution of leaders of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions — entities that restrict local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement — he has not directly threatened to arrest Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. 

Arizona is not a sanctuary state, and efforts to formally establish sanctuary cities within its borders have failed. In April, however, Hobbs vetoed legislation that would have compelled state and local agencies to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — something federal courts have consistently ruled cannot be mandated. 

What Homan has said

Homan, who served as acting ICE director under Trump and was named "border czar" for the second Trump administration, has repeatedly warned sanctuary city mayors and governors in general terms:

In interviews with Forbes and Economic Times in early 2025, Homan warned sanctuary city mayors impeding deportations will result in felony charges.

He has said officials who "cross the line" from non-cooperation to actively obstructing federal agents could face prosecution under 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (harboring).

He has never named Hobbs in those warnings. The viral posts splice his generic comments with Hobbs' veto of SB1164, creating the impression of a direct threat.

Why Hobbs is in the spotlight

On January 24, 2025, Hobbs told reporters: "That's not going to happen on my watch," when asked if Arizona would assist in mass deportations. In April 2025 she vetoed SB1164, which would have forced state police and sheriffs to honor ICE detainers.

That veto is protected by the Supreme Court's "anti-commandeering doctrine" — the federal government cannot force states to enforce federal immigration law. The legal distinction between non-cooperation and active obstruction is critical.

Homan's team argues that actively blocking a federal arrest — for example, tipping off targets or physically interfering — could be a crime. Simply refusing to help, as Hobbs has done, is not.

Can a border czar arrest a governor?

No. Even if Homan wanted to:

He has no arrest authority himself — he would need a U.S. Attorney to seek an indictment and a federal judge to sign a warrant.

A sitting governor has immunity from federal prosecution for official acts, and any case would immediately go to the Supreme Court on federalism grounds.

No governor in U.S. history has been arrested for refusing to cooperate with ICE. The Trump administration tried to defund sanctuary cities in 2017; federal judges struck down a similar policy during Trump's first term.

Why the meme works

The image combines three hot buttons:

Hobbs — a Democrat in a border state who vetoed a pro-ICE bill

Homan — a Trump loyalist promising "the largest deportation in history"

The border wall crowd — visual shorthand for crisis

The question "Do you support?" isn't seeking information; it's harvesting engagement. The post from September 2025 has been shared with captions like "Arrest all 4️⃣ and save Arizona" and "Talk is cheap, GO ARREST THE BITCH!"

Fact-checkers note the claim spread after a YouTube Short titled "Tom Homan Says He'll Arrest Gov Hobbs Over Deportation Block!" — which provided no clip of Homan saying it.

Bottom line

Did Homan threaten to arrest Hobbs specifically? No.

Has he threatened sanctuary leaders generally? Yes — he supports investigations if they actively obstruct.

Is Hobbs blocking deportations? She is refusing state assistance, which courts say she can do. Arizona remains non-sanctuary, and ICE continues to operate in the state.

If you're answering the poll, you're not voting on a real policy — you're voting on a meme that conflates a veto with a felony. The legal reality is far narrower, and for now, the "arrest" remains a social media fantasy, not a Justice Department memo.