Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is intensifying her commitment to assist undocumented migrants in avoiding arrest and deportation. In a discussion with NPR, the Bronx Democrat informed host Steve Inskeep that she will persist in offering guidance to undocumented immigrants, despite facing potential federal charges from border official Tom Homan.
“You recently had a disagreement, if that’s the appropriate term, with Tom Homan, the president’s homeland security official. You conducted an online forum, a Know Your Rights session, which he disapproved of. What was your intention in that?” Inskeep inquired.
“My role is to educate and serve as a conduit for essential information to my constituents. I was informing them of their constitutional rights, particularly their protections against unlawful search and seizure in the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez, who has sworn to uphold the nation’s laws, responded.
“Homan seemed displeased because he believed you were advising individuals who are in the country illegally,” Inskeep remarked. “Did you?”
“I was providing advice to all of my constituents, indeed,” AOC affirmed, before Inskeep pointed out that Homan had sought a legal opinion from the Department of Justice regarding her actions.
“Have you received any communication from the Department of Justice?” he asked.
“I have not, but I plan to reach out to the Department of Justice for clarification,” the Democratic ‘Squad’ member stated. “It is crucial to understand the administration’s stance and whether they intend to employ political intimidation to suppress dissent.”
Earlier this week, Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, requesting information on whether she is under investigation following Homan’s announcement that he had referred her to the Justice Department for possible criminal charges.
I am writing to seek clarification on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has succumbed to political pressure and attempts to manipulate the agency against elected officials whose views it opposes. In recent weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has made several public statements threatening political prosecution against me, referencing materials I shared to inform my constituents and the American public about their constitutional and legal rights, she stated at the outset of her letter.
On February 13, 2025, Mr. Homan declared that he had requested the Deputy Attorney General to initiate an investigation, ominously suggesting that I would be “in trouble now.” It has been two weeks since Mr. Homan first threatened to weaponize your agency, yet I have not received any communication from the federal government regarding a referral. Homan’s actions undermine fundamental Constitutional rights, and greater transparency is essential, AOC emphasized, before citing the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Last week, Vice President Vance remarked that “we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to express them in the public square.” Mr. Homan’s persistent efforts to employ your agency for the political intimidation of duly elected officials represent a clear threat to free speech in the United States. The threat of criminal proceedings for exercising First Amendment rights constitutes a violation of those very rights, she continued.
Informing the public about their rights, particularly during times of increasing uncertainty, is a crucial duty of elected officials. A government that resorts to threats of DOJ investigations to stifle free speech poses a danger to everyone, irrespective of political beliefs. I request a response by March 5, 2025, providing an update on the Department of Justice’s position regarding Mr. Homan’s request and clarity on whether my office or I am currently under investigation for exercising our First Amendment rights and fulfilling our congressional duties, Ocasio-Cortez concluded.
