Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) could find herself arrested if she follows through on her latest anti-Trump stance, according to a warning from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, told Fox News on Monday that Ocasio-Cortez could face charges if she engages in similar actions as other Democratic figures who have recently clashed with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) during efforts to manage illegal immigrants, including those linked to violent crimes.
“If she trespasses or assaults law enforcement officers like we’ve seen before, arrest could definitely be on the table,” McLaughlin stated on The Bottom Line. She also pointed out that some Democratic lawmakers have attempted to justify their actions as “congressional oversight,” a defense that has been met with skepticism from the DHS.
Ocasio-Cortez sparked controversy on Sunday when she posted a video on Instagram, reacting to the arrest of Ras Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Baraka was taken into custody after a heated confrontation with ICE agents at an immigration facility, where he was denied entry.
The U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, confirmed that Baraka was detained for trespassing and ignoring multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to leave the ICE detention center. DHS officials described the scene as chaotic, with Baraka reportedly joining protesters in an attempt to “storm” the facility’s gates, leading to a physical confrontation. Among those present were Democratic New Jersey Representatives Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver.
McLaughlin responded by rejecting claims that lawmakers were conducting legitimate oversight, saying, “If they had simply asked for a tour, we would have gladly provided one, as per our guidelines. But this is clearly political grandstanding, and we will not jeopardize the safety of our law enforcement officers.”
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman defended the actions of the lawmakers, asserting that they were there to exercise their “oversight authority.” However, in her video, Ocasio-Cortez threatened to take action if any harm came to the representatives. “If you lay a finger on Representative Coleman or any of the others, there will be consequences,” she warned.
Just one day after Baraka’s arrest, ICE released bodycam footage showing a tense standoff between the agents and the lawmakers. ICE has accused Representative McIver of assaulting an ICE agent during the incident. McLaughlin defended the agency’s handling of immigration at the Delaney Hall facility, emphasizing that detainees are often individuals linked to serious crimes, including sexual offenses, gang activities like MS-13, and even terrorism-related charges.
