New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi after Border Czar Tom Homan said that he referred the ‘Squad’ member to the deputy attorney general for investigation.

The probe stems from the representative continuing to advise illegal immigrants on how to avoid arrest and deportation from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including hosting a webinar on Instagram Live in English and Spanish.

Homan has speculated publicly that Ocasio-Cortez could be in violation of federal law, while also noting that her instructions to illegal migrants could put ICE agents and other law enforcement personnel in danger.

In her letter to Bondi, Ocasio-Cortez said she had not been made aware of such an investigation and contended that the First Amendment of the Constitution protected her.

“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. 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,” the representative said.

“On February 13, 2025, Mr. Homan announced that he had asked the Deputy Attorney General to open an investigation, and that I will be ‘in trouble now.’ It has been 14 days since Mr. Homan first threatened to weaponize your agency, but I have not yet heard any referral from the federal government. Homan’s actions undercut core Constitutional rights and further transparency is necessary,” she said before mentioning the First Amendment.

“Indeed, last week, Vice President Vance said that ‘we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square.’ 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,” AOC wrote.

“Educating the public about their rights, especially in a time of rising uncertainty, is a key part of our responsibility as elected officials. A government that uses threats of DOJ investigations to suppress free speech is a threat to all, regardless of political ideology. Please respond no later than March 5, 2025, with an update on the Department of Justice’s response to Mr. Homan’s request and transparency as to whether my office or myself is actively under investigation for exercising their First Amendment rights and executing on our congressional responsibilities,” she said.