Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez firmly rebuffed Tom Homan’s assertion that she was violating the law by hosting a webinar instructing illegal immigrants on how to evade ICE agents.
For several months, the ‘border czar’ and the ‘Squad’ Congresswoman have been at odds, as Homan seeks to implement the Trump administration’s strategy of deporting undocumented immigrants from the United States.
Subsequently, he has urged the Justice Department to look into the Democrat for potentially obstructing ICE operations and placing both federal authorities and illegal immigrants in these raids at risk.
He also suggested that AOC is ‘going to be in trouble’ for her part in instructing migrants how to avoid ICE’s detection.
But at a town hall in her district on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez spoke bluntly about Homan’s attacks.
‘Tom Homan said he was going to refer me to DOJ because I’m using my free speech rights in order to advise people of their constitutional protections. To that I say: Come for me, do I look like I care?’
Ocasio-Cortez asserted that ‘there’s nothing illegal about it and if they want to make it illegal, they can come take me.’
She continued to hammer at the Trump administration for what she called ‘completely illegal’ deportations to El Salvador and Guatemala, which she described as ‘sanctioned kidnappings.’
‘They want to talk about why America is great or making America great. Our civil liberties and our civil protections are part of what makes America great,’ she added.
Her comments continue the feud that she’s had with Homan ever since Trump returned to office.
Speaking to Fox News in February, he discussed his push to have her investigated after stopping agents from enforcing the very laws Congress passed.
‘It’s like AOC and others don’t want ICE to enforce the laws that they enacted,’ Homan said. ‘She’s a member of Congress. Let us enforce the laws you enacted. That’s what we’re supposed to do.
‘I’ve asked DOJ, where’s that line of impediment, of interference. Now, if someone stands in your way prevents you from from arresting somebody, put your hands on them, that’s impediment.’
‘But what line is telling people to hide from ICE, not open the door, where do you cross that line? I’m asking the Department of Justice to give us that line.’
When the host asked Homan if he believes AOC broke the law, the border czar deferred to the Justice Department’s pending guidance, responding ‘I’ll leave it up to DOJ.’ Though he didn’t hold back on much else.
‘What I find disturbing is that any member of Congress wants to educate people how to evade law enforcement,’ Homan said.
‘We’re talking about people who are in the country illegally, committed a crime they’re a public safety threat, they’ve been convicted of serious crime, and they’ve been ordered removed by federal judge,’ a frustrated-looking Homan explained.
AOC, meanwhile, has argued that she is trying to remind people of their civil liberties under U.S. law, and that she is not working to help criminals.
‘I am glad Mr. Homan is checking with the Department of Justice to familiarize himself with the limits of his agency’s authority in entering the homes of everyday Americans without a warrant,’ AOC said in a statement.
‘And I am proud to offer civil education to everyday Americans to ensure ICE’s compliance with the law, given the numerous reports of agents providing incorrect paperwork in their attempts to enter and search private homes.
‘Since Mr. Homan seems to be vaguely familiar with U.S. immigration law, we also remind him that according to Congressional statute, becoming undocumented in the United States is a civil offense and not a criminal one,’ her statement continued.
Ocasio-Cortez also pointed out that she is not aiding and abetting illegals avoiding criminal charges.
Her initial advice to illegal migrants came as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids in major U.S. cities known to be providing sanctuary policy protection to undocumented migrants living in their jurisdictions.
President Donald Trump vowed in his 2024 campaign to conduct the largest-ever deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history once back in office.
He hired Homan specifically to carry out that agenda, making him one of the biggest public faces of his second administration.
Homan served as Trump’s Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the first year-and-a-half of his administration which began in January 2017.
Trump went on to nominate Homan to become ICE Director on November 14, 2017, a post that requires Senate confirmation.
But in April 2018, the acting chief announced he would step-down from his post in June of the same year.
Just days after winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump announced that Homan would succeed Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘border czar.’
The role, which was implemented by Biden when he named his vice president to the post, does not require Senate confirmation and made Homan part of the White House staff, rather than a cabinet member.
He does not have any legal authority over the federal agencies involved in border and immigration policies.
