Tom Homan is not known for soft language, and his latest warning may be his sharpest yet. The border czar has set his sights on Rama Duwaji, the artist and wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, after months of her public criticism of immigration enforcement in the city. In remarks to supporters this week, Homan made it clear he has run out of patience.
“I’ll go down to that mosque of hers and put the cuffs on her personally,” Homan said, speaking about what would happen if, in his words, she crossed the line from criticism into interference.
That is a remarkable thing to say about the spouse of a sitting mayor, and Homan knew it. He said it anyway.
Asked later if he meant it, Homan did not blink. “I’ll put the cuffs on her personally,” he said again.
Duwaji has become an outspoken voice against ICE activity in New York, sharing posts and artwork that criticize raids and urging residents to know their rights. Homan sees it differently. To him, she keeps getting in the way of agents who are just doing their work.
“Tom thinks words have consequences,” said Alex Bruno, a former immigration official who has worked alongside Homan. “He’ll tell you he doesn’t care who you’re married to. If you make an officer’s job harder, he’s going to say something about it, and he’s going to say it loud.”
Homan’s comments came after a week of tense exchanges between federal officials and City Hall. Mamdani has promised to protect immigrant communities, and his wife has echoed that message on social media. Federal officials accuse the city of making enforcement more dangerous.
Allies of Duwaji were quick to respond. They called Homan’s warning intimidation and said she has done nothing but speak her mind, which is her right. One supporter said threatening to cuff an artist over Instagram posts tells you everything about the administration’s priorities.
Homan, for his part, did not appear interested in softening anything. He said he respects free speech but that there is a difference between speaking and obstructing, and he intends to watch that difference closely.
“He’s not bluffing about caring,” Bruno said. “Whether he ever actually shows up anywhere is a different question. But he wants her to know he’s paying attention.”
The mention of a mosque drew particular criticism, with civil rights groups calling it inflammatory. Homan’s defenders said he was simply naming a place she is known to spend time and that critics were looking for a reason to be offended.
Mamdani’s office released a brief statement saying the mayor stands with his wife and with every New Yorker who exercises their right to speak. The statement did not mention Homan by name.
For now, the warning stands as just that, a warning. Duwaji has not changed her tone, and Homan has not changed his. In New York, that usually means round two is coming. Representatives for Duwaji did not respond to a request for comment.