Washington (Parliament Politics Magazine) – US border chief Tom Homan urges UK PM Keir Starmer to adopt Trump-style migrant deportation tactics, citing America’s crackdown on illegal crossings.
As reported by The Guardian, a senior U.S. immigration official has urged Sir Keir Starmer to adopt Donald Trump-era strategies to tackle the UK’s growing immigration challenges.
What did Trump’s border chief urge Keir Starmer to do?
Tom Homan has urged the British government to follow President Trump’s tough border stance and crack down on illegal migrants entering the UK.
He said,
“Take a page out of the Trump playbook. Two months ago, we had the lowest numbers of crossings in the history of the nation.”
Mr Homan stated,
“The next month, we broke that record, and this month we’re gonna break it again. I would simply look at the Trump playbook…catch and release. If they enter the country illegally, they should be detained and put in front of a judge. And if they get voted to be removed, remove them.”
He served as the head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and played a central role in Trump’s mass deportation campaign targeting a million people a year.
In the past three months, Mr Homan and his team have deported around 207,000 migrants who crossed illegally into the US from Mexico.
He added,
“There have to be consequences. One of the reasons we have the most secure border in the history of this nation…[is because] we also send a message to the whole world that there’s gonna be consequences.”
Mr Homan said,
“You can’t have strong national security if you don’t have border security,”
adding,
“President Trump has the most secure border of my lifetime. I suggest your government look at what Trump did and take a page out of his playbook, and I guarantee it’s going to be the same outcome.”
What did Trump urge Keir Starmer to do about Nigel Farage?
The Trump administration has raised concerns over Europe’s migration policies. Vice President JD Vance warned that the continent is committing “civilisational suicide” by failing to secure its borders.
President Donald Trump urged the Prime Minister to take a tougher stance on immigration, arguing it would strengthen his position against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Fresh protests over migrant hotels in Britain
Public frustration intensified in Britain this week, sparking new protests against the Government’s policy of housing illegal migrants in taxpayer-funded hotels.
The Labour leader has pledged to end the use of migrant hotels by 2029, citing the £4 million daily cost and increasing community tensions.
Protests flared in Epping last month after a migrant was accused of attempting to kiss a teenage girl.
Deputy PM Angela Rayner called on ministers to respond more seriously to growing public concern over immigration, warning the issue cannot be ignored.
What did Angela Eagle say about violent protests over immigration?
A home office minister, Dame Angela Eagle, said,
“People don’t have a right to then have a pop at the police, which has been happening in some isolated cases outside hotels. One mustn’t mix up people’s genuine concerns and worries, peacefully expressed, with those who are trying to turn it into violence.”
She said the government is making efforts to lower the asylum backlog, stating,
“We’ve taken 35,000 people off our streets who have no right to be in our country and sent them back to their countries of origin within a year. We are doing all we can to deal with the challenges that the police are facing on the streets to make sure that women and girls are safe, and in fact, that everybody is safe on our streets.”
Ms Eagle stated,
“What we have to do is recognise the values we have in this country, the rule of law we have in this country, the work we’re doing with the police to protect people. We will close asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament. We’ll do it faster if we can.”
What did Robert Jenrick say about illegal migration and public anger?
Robert Jenrick, Tory shadow justice secretary, said,
“The basic problem with illegal migration is we simply know nothing about these people. They’re undocumented, mostly men, who are coming across the Channel in flagrant abuse of our laws and being dumped in communities. I completely understand why people are so angry.”
He added,
“This issue is beyond party politics – it is causing immense harm to communities, people’s lives are being wrecked as a result of it, and we simply have to fix it. I respect people who are peacefully protesting outside hotels this weekend. I understand why they feel so concerned. They’re seeing their communities damaged.”
Migrants in the UK in 2025
- Net migration in 2025 remained high, slightly below the 2023 peak of 906,000.
- Non-EU nationals now make up the majority of migrants.
- Top sources include India, Pakistan, and Hong Kong (via BNO visa).
- EU net migration turned negative (-96,000 in 2024).
- 109,000 asylum claims were made in 2025.
- 38,000 irregular arrivals came via small boats, mostly Afghans.