Tom Homan, the former border czar, recently took a jab at Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during an appearance on Fox News. This happened after a tense incident at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark, New Jersey, where Ocasio-Cortez had warned of "consequences" if her fellow Democrats faced repercussions for their actions.
Homan recalled Ocasio-Cortez’s warning while discussing the situation on "The Ingraham Angle." He stated, “AOC went on social media saying if we put a finger on any of her co-workers, there would be consequences. Well, guess what? We did it. I’m waiting on the consequences.” His remarks came just as federal prosecutors charged Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Democrat from New Jersey, in connection with the altercation at the facility.
In a live stream, Ocasio-Cortez defended McIver and other colleagues who were involved in the incident. She claimed they were conducting lawful oversight of the ICE facility and asserted that any wrongdoing lay with the Department of Homeland Security, not Congress members. “If anyone is breaking the law in this situation, it’s not members of Congress,” she stated, emphasizing that any harm to her colleagues would lead to serious repercussions.
Following the confrontation, McIver was charged with two counts of assaulting and resisting officers, as she allegedly attempted to intervene in the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Each charge could lead to a prison sentence of up to eight years. McIver has maintained that the charges are politically motivated and misrepresent her actions.
The ongoing back-and-forth between Homan and Ocasio-Cortez is not new. They have exchanged barbs for years, with Ocasio-Cortez challenging Homan to report her to the Department of Justice for her comments on immigration. Homan responded by saying he takes pleasure in living "in her mind rent-free every day."
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between lawmakers and immigration enforcement agencies, as well as the broader debate surrounding immigration policy in the United States.