According to incoming “border czar” Tom Homan, the United States is poised to reintroduce family detention centers once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. In an interview published by The Washington Post on Thursday (Dec. 26), he revealed plans to detain families in “soft-sided” tent facilities. Parents in the country illegally, even those with U.S.-born children, will face potential deportation and will have to decide whether to exit with their offspring or be separated. “Here’s the issue: You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child,” Homan stated. “So, you put your family in that position.”

As the publication reported, such measures would mark a reversal of President Joe Biden’s 2021 decision to end family detention and close facilities that housed “about 3,000 beds.” Additionally, current legal restrictions limit the detention of minors to 20 days.

Homan, who previously led the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Trump’s first term, oversaw the controversial “zero tolerance” policy that separated scores of children from their parents at the border. While he insisted the new efforts are designed to keep families together, he acknowledged the legal hurdles of deporting minors birthed in the country. “We need to show the American people we can do this and not be inhumane about it,” the former Border Patrol agent expressed regarding public perception. “We can’t lose the faith of the American people.”

Another focus of the proposed policies will be unaccompanied minors. Homan aims to track down over 300,000 children and teens who, according to Trump officials, have gone “missing” from government oversight. While many are likely living with family members, he expressed concerns about potential exploitation. “I think some of these children will be in forced labor and some will be in the sex trade,” he said.

All-in-all, Homan defended the need for broader enforcement as a necessary deterrent. He also criticized the Biden administration’s use of tools like the CBP One app, which he claimed facilitated fraudulent asylum claims. Despite what could lead to initial increases in illegal crossings, the incoming politician argued that strict enforcement would ultimately lower those figures. “Once the message is clear that we’re ending catch-and-release, the numbers will reduce,” he concluded.