Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Tom Homan issued dire warnings about how the Biden administration is handling immigration at the U.S. southern border. Homan said President Joe Biden's immigration policies have caused a surge at the border, and it was "designed to be this way" to help Democrats.

Homan appeared on "Fox & Friends" this week, where he said, "It's no longer illegal to be here illegally."

"Be clear what's happening here: President Biden has declared the entire country a sanctuary jurisdiction, which means more tragedies gonna come," Homan said. "Mark my word, people will die, people will be raped, people will be victimized by criminals that shouldn't even be here. This is, it's coming. And you know, we've been talking about this for two years. And it's already started."

Homan referenced an internal memo obtained by the Washington Post that stated ICE is preparing to issue new guidelines that could sharply decrease arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants.

ICE agents will reportedly no longer seek to deport immigrants for crimes such as driving under the influence and assault, but will instead focus on national security threats.

"Generally, these convictions would not include drug based crimes (less serious offenses), simple assault, DUI, money laundering, property crimes, fraud, tax crimes, solicitation, or charges without convictions," acting Director Tae Johnson told senior officials in the email that was sent out last week.

"They've abolished ICE without abolishing ICE," an unnamed official told the Washington Post.

"You have to commit a serious felony and be convicted of it to be even prioritized for arrest and removal and that sends a message to the rest of the world," Homan explained. "If you can get by the Border Patrol, as long as you are not convicted of a serious felony after you're here, you can stay – because ICE isn't looking for you."

"95% of the criminals ICE have arrested are now off the table," Homan said on Wednesday. "They're free in the community."

"When I read this policy, this is the most anti-law enforcement, pro-criminal policy that I could ever imagine in my worst nightmare," Homan said of the leaked memo. "I cannot believe they put this in writing."

Homan claimed that an upcoming national sex offender operation was canceled after the memo was sent out.

"On Wednesday, February 3rd, another email went out to the field shutting down the national Operation Talon, that sought to arrest at-large illegal aliens with sex crime convictions to include child molestation," Homan told Fox News. "They canceled the operation on the heels of this memorandum."

"Thousands of investigative hours go into planning for these operations from identifying targets, to locating them, to ensuring appropriate coordination with other law enforcement entities," he said. "So it's already started, we have sexual predators who are here illegally walking the streets, in our communities, because of the actions of this administration."

Operation Talon was planned in the final weeks of the Trump administration, according to the Washington Post.

Homan claimed that "the border is surging," adding that it is "designed to be this way" to help Democrats gain more power.

"They [Biden administration officials] fail to mention the surge at the border is of their own making because of their promises and their enticements, that's why there's a surge at the border," Homan said. "They're bringing millions of people into this country who will now be counted on the Census, … which leads to seats in the House, Electoral College, and elections."

"This is power over public safety," he added. "The quest for power over protecting American citizens."

On Thursday, Biden rescinded Trump's national emergency proclamation to secure the U.S. southern border.

President Biden wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that read, "I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end."

Earlier this month, President Biden signed an executive order to reinstate the practice of "catch and release" at the southern border, which Trump had ended. U.S. Customs and Border Protection may only detain an illegal alien for up to 72 hours.

Right after Biden was sworn into office is administration attempted to impose a 100-day moratorium on deportations, but it was blocked by a judge in Texas. This week the moratorium was blocked for another two weeks.

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