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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Border czar Tom Homan is embroiled in a war of words with Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Ocasio-Cortez held a live webinar last week to inform migrants in her congressional district about their rights when encountering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents seeking to deport them.
"She wants to tell these people how to evade arrest, how to evade lice. And we still got child predators we're looking for in New York, in her district, people convicted of child sex crimes, people who have been convicted of rape," Homan told Fox News.
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump made strict immigration measures a core component of his return to the White House. Along with carrying out mass deportations, his second administration has vowed to prosecute anyone who impedes their immigration enforcement operations.
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What To Know
The "Know Your Rights With ICE" virtual event was broadcast live on Ocasio-Cortez's Facebook page, offering migrants guidance on responding to ICE search requests if officers visit their homes or workplaces.
The live stream aimed to educate migrants residing in Ocasio-Cortez's 14th District, which includes parts of Queens and the Bronx, about their legal rights.
Homan accused her of making immigration enforcement more "difficult and dangerous."
"She wants to say she's educating them on the constitutional rights. We're trying to enforce the laws that Congress enacted," he said.
"So if they're writing laws they don't want enforced, I can think they've got better things to do with their time. But as a member of Congress, you would think she'd want ICE to enforce the laws, the laws they enacted, that they appropriate us funding to do. And that's what we're trying to do. And she's making it more difficult and more dangerous."
Ocasio-Cortez fired back late Monday at Trump's border czar, who threatened to investigate her for allegedly obstructing law enforcement, dismissing the accusation and calling him out for labeling her the "dumbest congresswoman ever elected to Congress."
"This is why you fight these cowards," Ocasio-Cortez said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The moment you stand up to them, they crumble. Homan has nothing. The Fourth Amendment is clear and I am well within my duties to educate people of their rights. He can threaten me with jail & call names all he wants. He's got nothing else."
Hosting seminars for migrants facing ICE encounters is legal. Providing legal education, including informing individuals of their constitutional rights, is protected under the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.
Newsweek understands that other Democratic members of Congress have organized similar seminars in their districts. The sessions typically educate attendees on fundamental rights, such as the right to remain silent, the right to refuse consent for a search, and the appropriate steps to take if approached by ICE at home work, or in public. They also offer guidance on seeking legal assistance to navigate immigration-related situations effectively.
Organizations like the ACLU, immigrant rights groups and legal aid societies regularly conduct training to ensure migrants understand their legal protections. As long as the seminars do not involve harboring undocumented individuals or actively obstructing law enforcement, they remain legal. However, experts caution that while sharing general legal information is protected, directly advising people to evade law enforcement could raise potential legal concerns.
What People Are Saying
Tom Homan told Fox News last week: "I sent an email to the Deputy AG today...at what level is that impediment.
"Is that impeding our law enforcement efforts. If so, what are we going to do about it? Is she crossing the line? I'm working with the DOJ to find out. Maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now."
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in a post on X last week: "MaYbe shE's goiNg to be in TroUble nOw" Maybe he can learn to read. The Constitution would be a good place to start."
What Happens Next
The escalating feud between Homan and Ocasio-Cortez is likely to continue, especially as immigration enforcement remains a focal point of the national conversation. With Trump's hardline immigration stance taking center stage in his first 100 days, Republican officials and immigration enforcers like Homan may continue to challenge Democrats who advocate for immigrant rights.
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