‘A Textbook Threat’: AOC Seeks Clarification Over Border Czar’s Threats
Trump official angry with congresswoman for informing migrants of their rights
A prominent Democratic lawmaker has contacted Donald Trump’s Justice Department to see if they will put any teeth behind the threats she’s gotten from Trump’s border czar.
Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi late last week, to ask if her agency intended to follow through on threats made against her by Border Czar Tom Homan.
Specifically, Ocasio-Cortez is seeking clarification on whether the Justice Department has bowed to political pressure from Homan and launched an investigation against her for educating her community about their constitutional rights.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office last month hosted a ‘Know Your Rights’ webinar, offering constituents practical guidance on how to interact with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The following day, Homan — who is leading Trump’s efforts at mass deportation of migrants — announced that he had requested that Justice Department officials initiate an investigation into Ocasio-Cortez, warning she would be “in trouble now.”
“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,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “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.”
As of Friday, the Justice Department has not been in contact with Ocasio-Cortez’s office, according to a statement by the congresswoman.
Later in the letter, Ocasio-Cortez reminded the Justice Department of its obligation to uphold the First Amendment: “Mr. Homan’s repeated attempts to use your agency to politically intimidate duly elected officials are a textbook threat to the right to free speech in the United States. Threatening criminal proceedings for exercising the First Amendment is itself a violation of the First Amendment.”
The full letter is available here.
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