Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday demanded answers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) about whether she is being investigated over her “Know Your Rights with ICE” webinar that she held in response to President Donald Trump’s ongoing illegal immigration crackdown.
Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi about threats of prosecution against her by Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan.
“I write to request clarity on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has yielded to political pressure and attempts to weaponize the agency against elected officials whose speech they disagree with,” she wrote in the letter. “Over the past two weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has gone on multiple forums threatening political prosecution against me, citing resources I distributed informing my constituents and the American public of their constitutional and legal rights.”
Homan warned that Ocasio-Cortez could be in trouble after her office hosted a Feb. 13 webinar that offered guidance to people who may be targeted by U.S Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Some argued, however, that she was trying to teach illegal immigrants how to evade deportation.
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t appear in the webinar but argued that the information in it was protected by the First Amendment.
“Educating the public about their rights, especially in a time of rising uncertainty, is a key part of our responsibility as elected officials,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in the letter. “A government that uses threats of DOJ investigations to suppress free speech is a threat to all, regardless of political ideology.”
Homan suggested in an interview that the congresswoman was crossing the line and should be investigated. He also said that he inquired with the attorney general about whether her actions were considered impeding law enforcement efforts.
Since then, Ocasio-Cortez has publicly defended the webinar. In one instance, she shared multiple graphics offering advice to noncitizens, including one saying ICE agents cannot enter one’s home without a signed warrant.
“Believe it or not, in America EVERYONE has rights,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez wrote alongside the graphics. “Citizen or not, we all should know our rights to protect ourselves and others from illegal search & seizure.”
Ocasio-Cortez is not the first official who Homan has targeted amid the nationwide illegal immigration crackdown. Homan earlier this month threatened to seek prosecution against New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy over concerns he was housing an individual with an uncertain immigration status.
Murphy said “good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her” during an interview with a progressive grassroots organization. Homan warned that the governor was breaking the law by knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal immigrant. The governor later said that he never actually invited an illegal immigrant to stay in his home.
Ocasio-Cortez requested confirmation from the DOJ about whether she was being investigated by March 5.
Since Trump returned to power, the DOJ has taken legal action against states that fail to cooperate with ICE immigration efforts, such as Illinois and New York.
