Tom Homan, the Trump administration's border czar, has criticised the latest episode of South Park for mocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Appearing on News Nation's Chris Cuomo programme on Thursday evening, Homan said the satire was in 'bad form' and 'bad timing'.
Homan, who served as acting director of ICE under President Donald Trump, claimed that such mockery emboldens attacks on ICE officers. He asserted that assaults on ICE agents had risen by 'over a thousand percent' due to what he described as 'bad rhetoric', including throwing Molotov cocktails and physical threats.
The episode, titled 'Got a Nut', depicts Noem as a dog-shooting law enforcement officer who instructs ICE recruits to racially profile people during immigration raids. It also features the dim-witted school guidance counsellor Mr Mackey signing up as an ICE agent to offset funding cuts to South Park Elementary, a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency's work.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson responded by thanking South Park for drawing attention to ICE recruitment, and highlighted benefits including a $50,000 signing bonus, student loan forgiveness, and retirement benefits. Homan echoed these statements, noting that the agency had opened recruitment due to high demand.
The episode comes amid a backdrop of real-world attacks on ICE agents, including doxxing and violent assaults, which have prompted agents to conceal their identities and the federal government to deploy the National Guard for protection.
