No.
Only the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, under certain circumstances, can deputize agency staff, federal workers, or state or federal law enforcement to act as immigration officers—but not civilians. The DHS Secretary could be dubbed a border czar, but the two titles are not interchangeable.
A “czar” is not generally an official title, but refers to a member of the administration or advisor who is considered an expert or authority on a particular issue. In previous administrations, positions such as the U.S. attorney and Special Representative for the Southwest Border, which require Senate confirmation, were named border czars.
President Donald Trump announced former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan as his administration’s “border czar.” Trump stated that Homan would be “in charge of our Nation’s Borders,” but has yet to provide a more formal title or traditional role. Homan has not undergone Senate confirmation.
This brief responds to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, The American Czars
- The White House, Barack Obama, The Truth About “Czars”
- United States 11th Congress, Senate Committee of the Judiciary, Examining the History and Legality of Executive Branch Czars
- Truth Social, Donald Trump Post Nov. 11, 2024
- Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Border911: The misinformation network profiting off the false invasion narrative
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
