On Friday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) challenged Tom Homan by suggesting he would face legal repercussions for claiming that she had advised immigrants on how to avoid deportation.
In response, Homan indicated that he was considering taking action with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding her comments.
The exchange took place at a bustling town hall in Queens, where Homan had previously accused Ocasio-Cortez of hosting a “Know Your Rights” webinar in February.
Addressing the enthusiastic crowd, Ocasio-Cortez stated, “Tom Homan is misusing my free speech rights to advise people on their constitutional protections, and now he’s coming after me.”
She continued, “There was nothing illegal about what I did. If they want to make it illegal, then they’ll have to bring me in.”
In that webinar, she suggested that undocumented individuals request warrants and record encounters with ICE. It also offered guidance on how to identify valid warrants that authorities might present.
Homan reiterated that lawmakers were likely contesting illegal activities as a result of her guidance.
At the town hall, Ocasio-Cortez remarked, following Homan’s earlier comments to Fox News, “I’m collaborating with the Department of Justice, trying to determine where the line is drawn. AOC might be in trouble now.”
In a February interview on Sunday Morning Futures, Homan elaborated:
“All she needs to do is read the laws enacted by Congress… It’s illegal to enter the country without permission. Moreover, when you harbor or obstruct law enforcement, it constitutes a felony. She’s teaching about constitutional rights, but ultimately, she’s showing them how to evade law enforcement.”
At City Hall, Ocasio-Cortez criticized one of the Trump administration’s prominent immigration policies, referring to the deportation of Venezuelan gang members as a “licensed donation.”
She contended that without a warrant, agents had no “carte blanche” to arrest gang members.
Polls consistently show that President Trump’s approval ratings are bolstered by his stringent measures against illegal crossings and the deportation of undocumented individuals, including gang members.
