Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is doubling down on her defiance after Trump administration border czar Tom Homan threatened to refer her to the Department of Justice for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement. At a recent town hall in Queens, Ocasio-Cortez dismissed Homan’s threats with a bold retort: “Come for me, do I look like I care?” She emphasized her constitutional right to educate constituents about their legal rights, asserting that such actions are not illegal.
At a Friday town hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly mocked former ICE Director Tom Homan, brushing off his warnings about her office’s “Know Your Rights” webinar held in February. The event advised illegal immigrants in her district on how to respond if approached by ICE, including how to assert their legal rights. Homan has since argued that her efforts may have crossed legal lines by potentially obstructing ICE agents from carrying out the Trump administration’s deportation orders.
“Tom Homan said he was going to refer me to the DOJ because I'm using my free speech rights in order to advise people of their constitutional protections. To that, I say: Come for me, do I look like I care?" Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd, adding there was "nothing illegal about it, and if they want to make it illegal, they can come take me.”
🚨AOC, who taught criminal aliens how to evade ICE, sends a message to Border Czar Tom Homan:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 3, 2025
“Said he was gonna threaten to refer me to DOJ because I used free speech to advise of their constitutional protections… Come for me."
pic.twitter.com/hN4yjY8Ayd
Following Ocasio-Cortez’s February event, Tom Homan indicated that she may have overstepped legal boundaries. He said he was in contact with the Department of Justice to determine whether her actions could warrant consequences.
During the town hall, AOC also criticized the Trump administration's border security and immigration policies, describing their deportation of Venezuelan gang members as "sanctioned kidnappings.” She argued that many deportations amount to "sanctioned kidnappings" and told constituents they have the right to refuse ICE agents entry unless presented with a judicial warrant.
“I don't even want to call them deportations. They are sanctioned kidnappings in many circumstances," Ocasio-Cortez told attendees. "They do not have carte blanche to enter. If they do want to knock on your door, or knock on anyone's door — including your workplace — you can tell them, 'Show me a warrant. Show me a judicial warrant.' And if they don't show you a warrant, you can say they can come back with a warrant. You have the right to turn them away.”
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