Pete Davidson Mocks ICE Agents as Border Czar in SNL Cold Open

Davidson's character advises agents in Minneapolis to 'try not to get filmed'

Feb. 1, 2026 at 12:07pm

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In the cold open of Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson portrayed President Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan, who was sent to Minneapolis to address the city's political unrest after federal agents killed two people. Davidson's Homan quickly realizes the ICE agents have little understanding of what went wrong and offers advice to 'try not to get filmed' while on the job.

Why it matters

The sketch satirizes the Trump administration's handling of immigration enforcement and the lack of training and oversight for federal agents, which has led to high-profile incidents of misconduct and violence. It also highlights the political tensions in Minneapolis following the killings by federal agents.

The details

In the sketch, Davidson's Homan scolds the ICE agents for their ignorance of the mission objectives and lack of restraint, at one point declaring 'I'm the separating-families-at-the-border guy. I'm the on-film-taking-a-$50,000-bribe guy. And you all are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room.' The agents struggle to articulate why destroying evidence or using force preemptively would be problematic, leading Homan to conclude by simply advising them to 'try not to get filmed'.

  • In January 2026, federal agents killed two people in Minneapolis, sparking political unrest in the city.

The players

Pete Davidson

An SNL cast member who portrayed President Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan in the cold open sketch.

Tom Homan

The former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who was recently called in by President Trump to address the unrest in Minneapolis.

Kenan Thompson

An SNL cast member who played an ICE agent in the sketch.

James Austin Johnson

An SNL cast member who played an ICE unit commander in the sketch.

Andrew Dismukes

An SNL cast member who played an ICE agent in the sketch.

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What they’re saying

“Now I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why Greg Bovino, the last guy, was dismissed. I want to stress that it wasn't because he did a bad job or publicly lied about the shooting of an American citizen, or even uh-oh, dressed like a Nazi. It was that he was filmed doing these things. And the president no-likey that.”

— Pete Davidson (as Tom Homan), Border Czar (SNL)

“I am the separating-families-at-the-border guy. I'm the on-film-taking-a-$50,000-bribe guy. And you all are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. That's crazy!”

— Pete Davidson (as Tom Homan), Border Czar (SNL)

“This could be wrong... but that you hired a bunch of angry, aggressive guys, gave us guns, and didn't train us, so this is maybe what you wanted to happen?”

— James Austin Johnson (as ICE unit commander) (SNL)

The takeaway

The sketch highlights the Trump administration's problematic approach to immigration enforcement, with poorly trained and undisciplined federal agents causing harm and controversy. It reflects broader concerns about the lack of accountability and oversight for ICE and other law enforcement agencies.