Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies while accusing wealthy elites of misusing public funds to undermine civil liberties.
AOC Criticizes ICE For Targeting Innocent Immigrants
On Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez posted on X a clip of her House floor remarks, calling out what she described as a stark disconnect between the Trump administration’s promises and its actions.
“President Trump ran on a promise to the American people that ICE would go after the worst of the worst,” she said.
She added, “Over 70% of people currently detained in detention facilities do not have a criminal record.”
She accused ICE of targeting children, students, permanent residents, and U.S.-born citizens, and said the Trump administration has repeatedly suggested revoking citizenship based on ethnicity.
Wealthy Elites Accused Of Funding Secret Police Programs
Ocasio-Cortez argued that private prison contractors and some wealthy elites perpetuate a false narrative portraying immigrants as threats.
“I want to remind you where the real crime is. It’s in the oligarchs taking $170 billion dollar of of our money from health care and food assistance and public programs and taking that and funneling it into a secret police program,” she said.
She emphasized that this misuse of funds and targeting of vulnerable populations is part of a broader effort to create a system that could suppress dissent and concentrate power.
ICE Controversies Spark Lawsuits And Political Backlash
Earlier this month, ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron sued the Trump administration after Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) removed his app, claiming officials pressured the company and violated the First Amendment.
The lawsuit named top federal officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons.
Former ICE director Tom Homan also vowed to increase enforcement in New York City, drawing criticism from Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said the tactics would intimidate immigrant communities.
In September, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for a federal investigation into whether immigration authorities were wrongly detaining U.S. citizens, citing incidents in Elgin, Illinois, where two citizens were briefly held.
The incidents highlighted growing tensions over immigration enforcement and civil liberties under the Trump administration.
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Photo Courtesy: Maxim Elramsisy on Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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