TRENTON (1010 WINS) – President Donald Trump’s border czar said Monday night that he’s “looking into” comments Gov. Phil Murphy recently made about an undocumented woman living above the garage at his home in New Jersey.
Tom Homan, who’s been leading deportation efforts by Trump, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he’d “seek to prosecute” Murphy if the remarks were true.
“Well, I think the governor is pretty foolish saying what he said, because I’ve gotten hold of it, won’t let it go,” Homan said. “We’re looking into it, and if he’s knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a violation.”
“I will seek prosecution,” Homan added.
Murphy caused a stir Saturday at an event with the group Blue Wave New Jersey at Montclair State University, during which he dared Trump’s administration to “try to get” the woman, apparently from his mansion in Middletown along the Navesink River.
“I don’t want to get into too much detail, but there’s someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to,” Murphy remarked. “And we said, ‘You know what? Let’s have her live at our house, above our garage.’ And good luck to the feds in coming to try to get her.”
Murphy’s spokesperson walked back the comments Monday, telling the Associated Press that the governor was relaying a conversation he had with first lady Tammy Murphy. He had suggested inviting the person to stay at their house, but the offer wasn’t made in the end, and the person never lived there, the spokesperson said.
Republicans have pounced on the comment. Mario Kranjac, a Republican running to succeed Murphy, said it’s time for immigration officials to pay the governor a visit.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and recently confirmed to be a “special government employee,” has been heading up what he and the White House call the Department of Government Efficiency. In a post on X showing Murphy’s statement, Musk wrote: “Wow.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.