New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly concerned about the possibility of a federal investigation into her actions regarding illegal immigration. This follows claims that she may have aided illegal immigrants in evading apprehension by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Ocasio-Cortez sought clarification on whether she is under investigation after border czar Tom Homan announced he had referred her to the Justice Department for potential criminal charges.

“I write to request clarity on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has succumbed to political pressure and is being weaponized against elected officials whose views they oppose,” she stated in her letter. “In recent weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has made multiple threats of political prosecution against me, citing resources I provided to inform my constituents and the public about their constitutional and legal rights.”

Ocasio-Cortez referenced Homan’s announcement on February 13, 2025, in which he claimed to have requested an investigation and suggested she would face consequences. “It has been 14 days since Mr. Homan first threatened to weaponize your agency, yet I have not received any referral from the federal government. Homan’s actions undermine core Constitutional rights, and further transparency is necessary,” she added, quoting the First Amendment.

She continued, “Last week, Vice President Vance stated, ‘We may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to express them in the public square.’ Mr. Homan’s repeated attempts to use your agency for political intimidation are a direct threat to free speech in the United States. Threatening criminal proceedings for exercising the First Amendment is itself a violation of that right.”

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the importance of educating the public about their rights, especially during uncertain times, and warned that a government that uses threats of DOJ investigations to suppress free speech poses a danger to all, regardless of political beliefs. She requested a response by March 5, 2025, regarding the DOJ’s stance on Homan’s request and whether she or her office is under investigation for exercising their First Amendment rights.

The controversy arose after Ocasio-Cortez hosted an Instagram Live webinar titled “Know Your Rights,” which Homan believes was intended to instruct illegal immigrants on how to avoid detention by federal immigration officers. The webinar, conducted in both English and Spanish, featured attorneys from the Immigrant Defense Project and provided guidance on how to respond to ICE enforcement actions. Her office has also distributed flyers advising illegal immigrants on ICE tactics and their legal options.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Homan confirmed that he referred Ocasio-Cortez to the Deputy Attorney General for investigation. “She wants to claim she’s teaching people about their constitutional rights. You can call it that,” he said. “We all know what she’s really doing. She’s telling these individuals how to evade arrest and ICE, while we’re still searching for child predators in New York and her district. She claims to be educating them about their rights.”

Homan criticized Ocasio-Cortez for making it more difficult to enforce laws that Congress has enacted, stating, “As a member of Congress, you would think she’d want ICE to enforce the laws they wrote and funded us to enforce.”

Hannity raised the question of when Ocasio-Cortez’s actions might cross the line into aiding and abetting illegal activity. Homan responded, “That’s exactly the question I posed to the Deputy Attorney General. I asked him to look into it. I know from my experience that someone stepping in front of you while you’re trying to arrest someone can complicate matters.”