Beyond the MSNBC Column: What AOC Told Me

MIAMI—It is Thursday afternoon here in the United States’ most Latin American city, and the last few days at the 2025 Knight Media Forum were productive. It was great to see old friends in the nonprofit journalism world and make new ones. The Wednesday night event I hosted with FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and FCC Commissioner Anna Gómez was a blast. Next week, I plan to share a recording of the conversation, so stay tuned for it!

Meanwhile, I wanted to provide a fundraising update during what has become our pledge month. Based on the 2024 financials I shared earlier this month, we determined that we needed to raise at least $4,000 this month to stay operational. As of today, we are just $1,600 away from meeting our pledge goal. I am confident that we will get there, and you can donate here.

For today’s post, I want to share Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's complete answers to my questions about my latest MSNBC opinion piece. I have been following the back-and-forth between Trump border czar Tom Homan and AOC and felt it was a moment for Democrats to re-engage the support of some Latinos.

These are the questions I sent via email and the answers AOC shared with me:

Do you feel as if the Trump admin is all talk and no action when it comes to their words against you? Why? Why not?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “The Trump administration understands that it does not have absolute power and that it must rely on creating a false illusion of power to create a chilling effect to get everyday people to respond to fear, comply in advance, and censor their own free speech. Ultimately, in clear scenarios such as these, the best way to handle paper tigers is to call their bluff. Mr. Homan has gone on national TV almost every night since my office held a ‘Know Your Rights’ webinar and has urged the Department of Justice to take action. It’s been a week, and he’s still on Fox News begging the DOJ to pick up the phone. He can baselessly threaten duly elected legislators with jail and throw around schoolyard taunts all he wants. The very fact that he is tripling down publicly is because he knows he has nothing else.”

What drives you to fight at this moment? How have your constituents responded to the immigration rights session? 

AOC: “I have sworn an oath not to any President or party but to the Constitution of the United States of America. I take that oath and the responsibility of what it entails seriously. And as long as I remain a duly elected public servant, I intend on fulfilling my responsibility to everyday Americans and advancing their civil rights and general well-being. The response has been overwhelming. Schools, churches, small businesses, neighbors, families, and everyday people have been clamoring for information and wanting to know what their rights are in the event that they are approached to be searched without a warrant or cause. They want to know what the law does and does not permit, and I am happy to present them with that information. We consistently receive calls from constituents thanking us for taking this step, and I look forward to continuing to work for the safety of everyday New Yorkers while keeping families together.” 

Are Democrats improving with Latino communities as a result of what the Trump admin has done in the last month? Why? Why not?  

AOC: “There is a difference between a party benefitting from Trump backlash and a party that earns enduring support through a proactive agenda. There is absolutely backlash occurring to the Trump administration’s actions, but the recent support among many Democrats of the Laken Riley Act —which guts due process and sets the stage for DREAMers to be deported on the mere accusation of a crime— demonstrates that we have a long way to go. Ultimately, Latinos are a deeply working-class constituency that wants to see Democrats committed to fulfilling their promise for real, long-awaited paths to citizenship and a clear economic agenda on healthcare, jobs, and more. We have to not only build out that agenda but also communicate it better with our communities if we want to build majorities that transcend the politics of backlash and build more enduring support that is capable of governing.”

This is the piece I filed.

What We’re Reading

Texas Girl’s Suicide Under Investigation: From CBS News, Jocelynn Rojo Carranza died by suicide. Her mother says she was bullied over her family’s immigration status and that the school ignored her concerns. Police are investigating.

Congressman Questions Local Official’s Citizenship: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) assumed a local Latino official wasn’t a citizen. The exchange, caught on video, is drawing backlash.

Deported Migrants Stranded in Panama: Hundreds expelled under a U.S. policy are stuck in Panama, unable to return home or move forward, the New York Times reports.

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

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