Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defiantly challenged Tom Homan on Friday, daring the former acting ICE director to have her arrested after she publicly defended a webinar she held offering guidance to illegal immigrants on how to protect themselves from deportation.
In response to her bold remarks, Homan told the media that he had already begun coordinating with the Justice Department to determine whether Ocasio-Cortez had broken any laws.
The confrontation flared up during a heavily attended town hall event in Queens, where Ocasio-Cortez addressed Homan’s accusations that her February “Know Your Rights” virtual event had obstructed federal immigration enforcement.
Ocasio-Cortez told attendees, “Tom Homan said he was going to refer me to 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?’”
She followed up by insisting she had done nothing unlawful, adding, “nothing illegal about it and if they want to make it illegal, they can come take me.”
The digital forum in question included instructions for undocumented immigrants, advising them to ask for proper legal documentation from ICE agents and to record interactions when confronted. The webinar also offered guidance on identifying different types of warrants.
Homan has maintained that the New York lawmaker may have crossed into criminal conduct by encouraging illegal immigrants to avoid federal agents.
After Ocasio-Cortez’s town hall remarks, Homan told Fox News, “I’m working with the Department of Justice and finding out, ‘Where is that line that they cross?’ So maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now.”
In a previous appearance on Sunday Morning Futures back in February, Homan offered a more pointed legal interpretation of her actions. “What she needs to do is read the statutes enacted by Congress… because it’s a crime to enter this country illegally. Not only that, but when you harbor and conceal and impede law enforcement, that’s a felony. What she’s doing, she says she’s educating everybody on their constitutional rights, and we all know they’ve got constitutional rights, but what she’s really doing… she’s trying to teach them how to evade law enforcement.”
During the same town hall, Ocasio-Cortez also criticized a signature immigration policy of President Trump’s administration, labeling the deportation of Venezuelan gang members as “sanctioned kidnappings.”
She further asserted that ICE officers must have proper legal authority to arrest individuals, arguing that without a valid warrant, agents do not possess “carte blanche” to carry out arrests.
Polling has repeatedly indicated that President Trump’s strongest support among voters stems from his firm stance on border security and aggressive action against criminal undocumented individuals and gang-related offenders.

{Matzav.com}