Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is once again courting controversy—this time by daring former acting ICE Director Tom Homan to “come for me” after he suggested she could face a referral to the Department of Justice for allegedly helping illegal immigrants avoid deportation.
The escalation came during a town hall in Queens, where Ocasio-Cortez responded defiantly to recent comments made by Homan, who is now working closely with the Trump administration’s border security task force. Homan had blasted Ocasio-Cortez for her role in a “Know Your Rights” webinar hosted in February, during which her office gave detailed instructions to illegal immigrants on how to evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including how to reject entry, request warrants, and record enforcement attempts.
Rather than back down, Ocasio-Cortez doubled down.
“Tom Homan said he’s going to refer me to the Department of Justice for informing people of their constitutional rights. To that I say—come get me,” she said. “Do I look like I care?”
Homan, a longtime critic of sanctuary policies and left-wing immigration activism, previously called the webinar a dangerous abuse of congressional office. “This isn’t just about free speech. When you actively instruct illegal aliens on how to obstruct federal enforcement, you’re crossing a legal line,” Homan said earlier this week. “We are actively consulting DOJ to determine if criminal referral is appropriate.”
Ocasio-Cortez insists her actions fall under First Amendment protections, framing her involvement as part of her duty to ensure “communities are informed and protected.” But critics argue she’s effectively instructing foreign nationals on how to break U.S. law and obstruct lawful immigration enforcement efforts.
“This is aiding and abetting illegal activity,” said one immigration official. “She’s using her congressional platform to shield lawbreakers and undermine our agents. That’s not ‘knowing your rights’—that’s coaching fugitives.”
? JUST IN: Rep. AOC sends a new message to Border Czar Tom Homan.
“[He] said he was gonna threaten to refer me to DOJ because I used free speech to advise [illegal aliens] of their constitutional protections.”
“Come for me.”pic.twitter.com/J6RKryF7FO
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 3, 2025
The incident underscores a deepening clash between the Trump administration’s tough-on-border policies and far-left members of Congress who are openly siding with illegal immigrants, even if it means interfering with law enforcement operations.
AOC’s defiant challenge comes as Trump’s DOJ considers a broader crackdown on sanctuary politicians who actively promote or assist efforts to shield deportable individuals. Sources say multiple congressional offices are being reviewed to determine whether taxpayer-funded resources are being used to aid lawbreaking under the guise of constituent outreach.
Whether legal consequences follow remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: Ocasio-Cortez isn’t backing down. And neither is the Trump administration.