You work for me, I'm a taxpayer: Trump's border czar's old reply to Democrats viral

With veteran immigration official Tom Homan set to be in charge of America's borders in the Donald Trump administration, old videos of the Republican's hawkish stance on deportation have gone viral. The video that has grabbed the most attention is the one in which he squares off with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal during an immigration and citizenship hearing.

During the hearing, Homan emphasised that the inaction of Congress made it possible for migrants to illegally enter into the US from Mexico. "You have failed the American people for not securing the border and closing loopholes," Homan told Jayapal.

As Jayapal tries to silence him by hitting the gavel, Homan shoots back, "You work for me. I am a taxpayer."

Another 2019 video of his spat with Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also gone viral in which Homan speaks on family separation and zero tolerance over the immigration system.

Another clip that has gone viral shows Homan responding to the host of CBS News's '60 Minutes' show on deportation. In the interview, the host asks Homan if there is a way to carry out mass deportation without separating families.

To this, Homan replies bluntly, "Of course, yes, families can be deported together".

Homan served as the acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Trump's previous administration before retiring in 2018.

He has been a strong advocate of a "zero tolerance" immigration system -- a stance that aligns with the views of Trump, who has said that he would run the largest deportation program in the history of the United States and would deport all illegal immigrants.

With Trump set to helm the White House from January 20, 2025, all eyes will be on how Homan plans to cut down on illegal immigration into the US -- a cornerstone of the Republican's poll campaign.