Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) accused Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) of witness intimidation during a tense hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday.
The hearing featured testimony from sanctuary state governors, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. The state leaders clashed with Republicans over immigration enforcement, National Guard deployments, and states’ rights.
“Charges of obstruction should be brought against each one of you,” Palmer said, adding, “I’ll leave that up to the Department of Justice.” Ocasio-Cortez swiftly challenged him.
Palmer: Charges should be brought against each one of you
AOC: Raising the prospect of charges against witnesses is a form of intimidation is it not?
Palmer: I strike those words pic.twitter.com/uXbu8HqeYO
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 12, 2025
“That was intimidation of the witness,” she said. “Raising the prospect of charges against witnesses is a form of intimidation, is it not?”
Palmer acknowledged Ocasio-Cortez’s objection. “I strike those words,” he said, inspiring a wink from Ocasio-Cortez.
During the volatile hearing, Hochul and Pritzker openly dared federal immigration czar Tom Homan to “come and arrest” them, accusing the administration of stoking fear and undermining local authority. Walz warned that such threats “undermine democracy.”
At another point, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told Hochul, “The DOJ should prosecute you for murder,” as she held up a photo of Laken Riley, a young woman murdered by a man who illegally entered the United States.
ICE officials claim Riley’s killer had previously been arrested in NY but was released before ICE could detain him. The case was cited in the controversial Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention without bail of undocumented migrants charged with a crime.
The Governor’s defense of their city’s immigrant sanctuary policies comes amid anti-ICE protests taking place nationwide. Protests in LA have garnered national attention as President Donald Trump clashes with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over the deployment of federal troops to subdue demonstrations the Trump administration has described as “insurrection.”
Originally published on Latin Times
