Border Czar Tom Homan further escalated his feud with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) over her advise to migrants on what their rights are when approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Speaking on Fox News, Homan said AOC is “educating the worst of the worst (on) how do we evade law enforcement.” However, he then warned that “the tables have now turned” because “you have a final order” of deportation and it is “illegal to not comply with that order.”
“It’s a crime to take steps to not comply with ICE removal orders or not comply with ICE actions taken in custody. You can’t hinder your own removal that was ordered by the federal judge. I would like AOC to read Title 8, United States Code 1253 because it’s starting tomorrow,” Homan added.
It is the latest round in an ongoing rhetorical battle as the Trump administration seeks to continue mass deportations. AOC had taunted Homan while talking to attendees at a recent town hall in Queens.
“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? There’s “nothing illegal about it — and if they want to make it illegal, they can come take me,” she said.
The conflict largely started after the Democratic lawmaker hosted a February webinar in which she and immigrant rights advocates discussed how undocumented immigrants can respond to ICE agents.
The event, streamed live and promoted to her more than 12 million followers, included a pamphlet titled “Do Not Open Your Door,” advising immigrants that ICE agents need a judicial warrant to enter a home.
Homan reacted swiftly, telling Fox News that he had been “working with the Department of Justice” to investigate whether the congresswoman’s actions amounted to impeding federal immigration enforcement. “Maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now,” he said, claiming that advising undocumented individuals to ask for warrants could constitute “harboring, concealing, or impeding law enforcement,” which he described as a felony.
Ocasio-Cortez tackled Homan’s legal interpretation on X (formerly Twitter): “Maybe he can learn to read. The Constitution would be a good place to start.” She also defended her webinar as a constitutional and educational effort, stating, “Believe it or not, in America, EVERYONE has rights.” AOC also sent a formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi seeking to clarify whether she was being investigated.
Originally published on Latin Times
