Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is under investigation for allegedly employing an undocumented immigrant and assisting others in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s being looked at, can\u2019t comment past that. I\u2019m aware of it, we\u2019ve asked ICE to drill in on that case,\u201d Homan told political commentator Benny Johnson in a recent interview. He added that he couldn\u2019t comment on the case because it was still under active investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as you know her educating people on how to evade ICE arrests, she\u2019s really educating them on how to be prosecuted\u2026when you knowingly hinder your removal, that\u2019s a crime,\u201d Homan added during the interview.<\/p>\n
Johnson then asked how it was possible for a member of Congress to employ an illegal alien, to which Homan responded: \u201cIt is not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diego de la Vega, a former deputy communications director for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), moved to Colombia in March after 23 years in New York City. Born in Ecuador, he came to the U.S. at age 7 on a visitor\u2019s visa and remained after overstaying, becoming undocumented.<\/p>\n
The punishment for harboring an illegal alien is punishable by a large fine and years in prison, according to the Justice Dept.<\/p>\n
Homan urged the Justice Department to investigate Ocasio-Cortez after she hosted a February \u201cKnow Your Rights\u201d webinar advising constituents on how to respond to ICE.<\/p>\n
That same month, she wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi seeking clarification on whether she was under investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past two weeks, \u2018Border Czar\u2019 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,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Ocasio-Cortez also said Homan\u2019s \u201cattempts to use your agency to politically intimidate duly elected officials are a textbook threat to the right to free speech in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the summer, Ocasio-Cortez was found to have broken House ethics rules by accepting more than $3,700 in gifts for her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala \u2014 including the now-infamous \u201cTax The Rich\u201d dress \u2014 but paid less than $1,000 for the items.<\/p>\n