Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back at border czar Tom Homan on Friday after he threatened to refer her to the DOJ. At a Queens town hall, the congresswoman dismissed the threat over her February “Know Your Rights” webinar for migrants. “Come for me, do I look like I care?” she said to loud cheers.
Ocasio-Cortez defended her actions as fully legal. “There is nothing illegal about it, and if they want to make it illegal, they can come take me,” she told the crowd. Her webinar gave migrants tips on their rights during ICE encounters. The advice included asking for judicial warrants and documenting searches.
Homan argued her actions may interfere with ICE’s operations. “She’s trying to teach them how to evade law enforcement,” he said on Fox News. “That’s a felony,” he added, suggesting she may be harboring or impeding officers.
The New York Democrat stood her ground. “I’m using my free speech rights,” she said. “To advise people of their constitutional protections.” She said it was her duty as an elected official to inform her constituents of their rights.
She didn’t stop at defending herself. Ocasio-Cortez slammed the Trump administration’s immigration tactics. She called recent deportations of Venezuelan gang members “sanctioned kidnappings.” Her comments drew heavy applause from the audience.
“They do not have carte blanche to enter,” she said about ICE agents. “You can tell them, ‘Show me a warrant.’” She encouraged residents to push back against raids without proper documentation.
The town hall was packed, with hundreds in attendance. An overflow room was set up across the hall. Attendees focused on local concerns like minimum wage, air quality, and how she plans to push back on Trump.
Her loudest applause came when she voiced opposition to a proposed casino near Citi Field. “I don’t have a say,” she admitted, noting the plan is a state issue and outside her district. Still, her audience cheered her stance.
The event was mostly calm, but one protester caused a brief disruption. “What are you doing about the genocide in Gaza?” she yelled. The audience drowned her out with chants of “Shame!” and “Boo!” before security removed her.
Ocasio-Cortez left the stage with strong support from her base. Whether the DOJ takes up Homan’s challenge remains to be seen. But the congresswoman made one thing clear: she’s not backing down.