Saturday Night Live used its landmark 1,000th episode to launch a cold open targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement and senior Trump officials.

The episode opened with the surprise return of former cast member Pete Davidson, who portrayed White House Border Czar Tom Homan in a sketch set in Minneapolis, where real-world protests and investigations continue following recent ICE ops.

In the sketch, Davidson's Homan arrives to meet ICE unit commanders 'in response to the chaotic situation in Minnesota,' only to discover a group of agents portrayed as clueless, aggressive and dangerously ill-informed about their own mission.

The skit immediately sparked criticism from viewers unhappy at SNL's increasingly overt political tone, with one viewer saying they 'thought this was a comedy show'.

'My name is Tom Homan,' Davidson began his cold open. 'Now I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why Greg Bovino, the last guy, was dismissed. I wanna stress that it wasn't because he did a bad job or publicly lied about the shooting of an American citizen or even, oh, dressed like a Nazi. It was that he was filmed doing these things.'

Trying to refocus the spoof ICE agents, Davidson's character then asked: 'Now, who could tell me why we're here in Minneapolis?'

One agent replied flatly: 'Pass.' Another said: 'This could be wrong, but Army?'

Davidson then responded: 'That's close. We're here to detain and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.'

'That is literally the first I'm hearing of that,' one said back.

The sketch escalated as Davidson's Homan tried to walk his fictional agents through basic rules of law enforcement.

'Forget everything you were told before. We're not here to intimidate, racially profile or violate anyone's rights. So again, what are we looking for?' he asked.

'Epstein files,' an agent replied.

'Nope, we actually just released those to distract from this, you know, which is ironic because we did this to distract from those,' Davidson said.

The line referenced the real-world Justice Department release on Friday of three million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The sketch continued with Davidson's Homan saying: 'Let's talk about use of force. 

'What do we want to use force right away?… It's kind of a trick question, because we actually don't want to use force. Remember, the job ultimately is about keeping America safe. From what?'

'This could be wrong, but Don Lemon?' a recruit answered.

The joke alluded to the real arrest of Don Lemon on Thursday following his reporting on immigration enforcement operations. 

Lemon later said his 'constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.'

Later in the sketch, James Austin Johnson's agent delivered the most pointed line of the night.

'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?'

The sketch ended with Davidson attempting a motivational appeal.

'Can we do our jobs without violating anyone's rights as Americans?' he asks.

Kenan Thompson's agent replies simply: 'No.'

'Well, I had to ask,' Davidson says. 'Maybe just try not to get filmed?'

Online reaction to the sketch was swift and deeply divided.

'Thought this was a comedy show….. Not funny,' one viewer wrote on X. 

'This is not funny,' agreed another. 

A third criticized Davidson's portrayal specifically, writing: 'Pete Davidson is the worst SNL Tom Homan you could possibly imagine.'

Saturday night's cold open aired as anti-ICE demonstrations continue across the country following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during immigration operations in Minneapolis, incidents that have triggered multiple investigations and political backlash.

The show doubled down during 'Weekend Update,' where anchor Colin Jost mocked Trump's decision to deploy Homan to calm the situation.

'This feels like trying to quit cocaine by taking up crack,' Jost said.

Jost then turned his fire on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, referencing controversy surrounding her comments on the Pretti shooting.

'Homeland security's initial review of the Alex Pretti shooting does not say that he attacked officers, which contradicts Kristi Noem's claims,' Jost said. 'But none of that really matters to Kristi Noem. She'll open fire, even if you're a good boy.'

The remark alluded to Noem's own 2024 memoir, in which she revealed she shot her dog after it misbehaved - a story that sparked national outrage when it was published.