Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) is reportedly rolling out a series of "legal observer" trainings in her district.
Ocasio-Cortez and the activist coalition Hands Off NYC will educate residents on how they can document Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in their neighborhoods without breaking the law, according to QNS.
AOC spoke at a town hall event in Astoria, where she described the training sessions as a more advanced "102-level" follow-up to her earlier "Know Your Rights" sessions. These trainings are tailored toward those who wish to monitor federal immigration enforcement activities.
"Legal observers" have cropped up in several cities where ICE and Border Patrol agents are working to apprehend illegal immigrants — especially in Minnesota. NPR reported that the trainings teach attendees how to identify government vehicles and uniforms, record video from a safe distance on public sidewalks, log badge numbers, and document the time and place of each encounter so civil rights lawyers and advocacy groups can compile detailed evidence if a situation arises.
Believe it or not, in America EVERYONE has rights. 🇺🇸
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 13, 2025
Citizen or not, we all should know our rights to protect ourselves and others from illegal search & seizure.
ICE often attempts to enter homes without a proper warrant. They can go get one.
Here’s our shareable guide (1/2): https://t.co/cM3CHlwkwh pic.twitter.com/Lv9APfD0CB
Churches and community centers in other parts of the country have held similar training sessions. Instructors teach attendees how to interact with officers and to focus their cameras on the conduct of officers as they carry out their duties.
Ocasio-Cortez described these sessions as a response to what she calls ICE's pattern of abuse and excessive force. She has told constituents that ICE agents are not allowed to enter homes without a judicial warrant. She characterized the administrative warrants ICE agents have been using as akin to "Monopoly money" that does not override the Fourth Amendment.
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AOC: This has now become what we feared most about ICE for a long time—that it would be used as an anti-civilian force with no accountability. At the end of the day, what we saw today was a murder, and murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted. pic.twitter.com/9J0kvMEZGw
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 8, 2026
Border czar Tom Homan has criticized the trainings and questioned whether AOC's sessions could constitute obstruction of federal law enforcement. He indicated he was consulting with the Justice Department to determine whether her events "impeded" ICE and warned that "maybe AOC's gonna be in trouble now."
AOC clapped back at Homan, saying, "Maybe he can learn to read," and insisted that her activities are protected by the First Amendment.
This comes amid clashes between federal immigration authorities and community members who say officers are going overboard in their efforts to arrest and deport illegal immigrants.
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