In a surprise appearance, former cast member Pete Davidson returned to “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) for its landmark 1,000th episode. The show aired on October 14, 2023, featuring Davidson in the cold open, where he portrayed Tom Homan, the former director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Trump administration.
Davidson’s sketch depicted Homan in a fictional meeting with ICE agents, played by current cast members including Kenan Thompson and James Austin Johnson. In his portrayal, Davidson addressed the dismissal of former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, stating, “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.”
The segment was characterized by Davidson’s trademark humor, where he insisted that ICE is “not here to intimidate, racially profile, or violate anyone’s rights.” He added a comedic twist, suggesting that the increase in arrests was intended to “distract” from the Epstein files. In a moment of levity, Davidson broke character, acknowledging his resemblance to Homan by quipping, “Look, I’m Tom Homan, okay? I am. I’m the ‘separating families at the border’ guy, I’m the ‘on film, taking a $50,000 bribe’ guy, and y’all are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. That’s crazy!”
Homan, a native of West Carthage, New York, recently took over operations in Minneapolis after Bovino’s dismissal. Known for his hardline stance on immigration, Homan has been vocal about maintaining immigration enforcement policies. In an interview with Fox News on September 9, 2025, he dismissed claims that the Trump administration was backing off from its immigration policies, stating, “To set the record straight, because my staff said they’ve seen a lot of people that say President Trump’s backing off on his promise of mass deportation — that’s just untrue.”
Davidson’s return to SNL evoked nostalgia, as he was a prominent cast member from 2014 to 2022. His career includes various projects such as “Big Time Adolescence,” “Bupkis,” and “The King of Staten Island.” The 1,000th episode of SNL marked a significant milestone for the show, which first premiered in 1975. Fans can stream episodes on demand via Peacock.
The episode also featured another skit where a MAGA supporter, played by Ashley Padilla, expressed her doubts about supporting Trump, adding to the episode’s political commentary.
As the show celebrated this historic milestone, Davidson’s comedic take on a controversial figure like Homan exemplified SNL’s enduring legacy of blending humor with current events.
