ICE group praises Trump for Homan, Noem picks to lead immigration team: ‘Fired up’

FIRST ON FOX: A law enforcement association made up of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees is backing President-elect Donald Trump’s choices to head his immigration team next year as it seeks to launch an ambitious mass deportation plan -- with the group saying ICE agents and officers are "fired up."

In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, the Executive Board of the National ICE Officers Association said it offers its "strong support" for the appointment of former acting ICE Director Thomas Homan as border czar, and the nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

"Former Director Homan is one of us and knows exactly what it takes to do the job and make our communities safe," the statement said.

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The group is a newly established law enforcement association for members of ICE who serve in the agency's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch. It was established this year and is in the process of seeking to become the exclusive union for the agency. 

The group similarly praised the selection of Noem as the Department of Homeland Security nominee.

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"As one of America’s toughest governors and someone who has kept her citizens safe, we have complete and total confidence that Gov. Noem will bring about the changes we desperately need to do our jobs and protect the American people," the group says.

"The men and women of ICE ERO are fired up and ready to go get to work."

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ICE will be in the spotlight next year as the Trump administration moves to ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants across the U.S. The transition team has already been eyeing a significant expansion of detention in order to facilitate the operation, with an increase in beds and expanded detention capacity near major metropolitan areas.

Those efforts are already drawing significant opposition from Democratic officials in some states. The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said they would not assist the administration in the operation. However, some Republican states have offered support, with Texas offering more than 1,400 acres of land to stage mass deportations near the border.

Fox News Digital reported last week that an announcement of who President-elect Trump will pick to lead ICE is expected imminently. The transition team is understood to be looking for someone with a deep law enforcement background to lead the agency.