During an appearance on The Ingraham Angle Thursday night, ICE Director Tom Homan revealed that he had referred Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the Department of Justice for review.
The referral comes in response to Ocasio-Cortez’s public announcement that she was holding webinars to instruct illegal immigrants in New York City on how to evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Homan’s decision underscores the Trump administration’s stance on immigration enforcement and the need to ensure that all laws are upheld—especially by elected officials. During his discussion with host Laura Ingraham, Homan expressed concerns that Ocasio-Cortez’s actions might constitute obstruction of justice or interference with federal law enforcement operations.
“But Tom,” Ingraham said, “you got AOC out there, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman, putting out a webinar, doing a webinar to help illegals avoid, I guess, apprehension, giving tips about how to continue to remain in the country and ultimately game the system.”
TOM HOMAN REFERS AOC TO DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR INVESTIGATION.pic.twitter.com/OrBJ3ehdqI
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 14, 2025
Homan responded by explaining that he had contacted the Department of Justice to determine whether Ocasio-Cortez’s actions crossed a legal line. “I sent an email today to the Deputy Attorney General,” he stated. “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 Department of Justice to find out where that line is.”
Homan did not definitively say whether legal action would be taken against Ocasio-Cortez but emphasized that he believed her actions were a direct challenge to law enforcement. He also suggested that consequences could follow if her efforts were determined to be obstruction.
“So maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now,” Homan continued. “But I need the [Attorney General’s Office] to opine on that because there’s an impediment. It’s an impediment, in my opinion. I’m not a prosecutor, but we need some further guidance on that.”
Homan went on to stress that sanctuary cities—which refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities—pose a serious risk to public safety. He warned that the administration would not hesitate to take action against cities that obstruct ICE operations.
“But again,” he said, “if we have to take every federal dollar out of the city, we’ll do it. I mean, we’re done. This is about public safety. This is about community safety. Knowingly releasing a public safety threat back into the public is just stupid. You’re putting the public at great risk. You’re putting our officers at great risk. You’re even putting the illegal alien at great risk because anything can happen during an arrest on the street.”
Homan made it clear that if sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement, ICE agents would still carry out their duties. “In sanctuary cities, they want to step aside, step aside,” he declared. “We’re coming. We’re going to do it for you. If you don’t want to make your community safer, President Trump’s going to.”
Ingraham concluded the segment by reinforcing the administration’s position on immigration. “We either have a border or don’t have a border,” she said. “We either have immigration laws that we take seriously or we don’t.”
With the DOJ now being consulted, Ocasio-Cortez may soon face legal scrutiny over her actions.