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Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan said this week that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is under federal investigation over allegations she employed an undocumented immigrant and assisted others in avoiding Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It’s being looked at, can’t comment past that. I’m aware of it, we’ve asked ICE to drill in on that case,” Homan said during an interview with political commentator Benny Johnson. He declined to offer further details, citing an ongoing investigation.
Homan also criticized Ocasio-Cortez for previously offering guidance to undocumented immigrants on how to respond during ICE encounters, claiming such actions could constitute a criminal offense.
“As far as you know her educating people on how to evade ICE arrests, she’s really educating them on how to be prosecuted…when you knowingly hinder your removal, that’s a crime,” he said.
The remarks come amid scrutiny over Diego de la Vega, a former deputy communications director for Ocasio-Cortez who publicly revealed he was undocumented during his time in the United States. De la Vega, who was born in Ecuador and moved to the U.S. on a visitor visa at the age of seven, overstayed and lived undocumented for 23 years before moving to Colombia in March.
“I hadn’t left the country in 23 years—from age seven to age thirty. Now, I can’t go back to the U.S,” de la Vega told Migrant Insider. “It feels like exile… but my wife and I are confident we made the right decision.”
De la Vega joined Ocasio-Cortez’s staff in 2022 after working as a congressional fellow for former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. When asked about him, Ocasio-Cortez said, “Diego is amazing” and “We love him.”
Homan has previously called for the Justice Department to investigate the congresswoman after she hosted a “Know Your Rights” webinar in February outlining how immigrants could exercise their constitutional protections during ICE encounters.
In response, Ocasio-Cortez wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting clarification on whether the DOJ was investigating her. “Over the past two weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has gone on multiple forums threatening political prosecution against me,” she wrote. “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.”