Tension over illegal immigration in Massachusetts spiked on Tuesday after a Brockton lawmaker warned her city about a potential federal raid and Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told a congressional hearing that officials in "sanctuary cities" should be arrested.

BROCKTON – State Rep. Michelle DuBois, a Democrat from Brockton, should resign from public office, could potentially face prison time and “ought to be ashamed of herself” for trying to alert criminal undocumented immigrants about a federal law enforcement raid in the city, according to a local sheriff.

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, a Republican who often appears on the Fox News Channel to speak about immigration enforcement, called out DuBois in the nation’s capital Tuesday morning during his testimony to a Congressional subcommittee on immigration enforcement. Hodgson made his statements about DuBois after she released a message on Facebook earlier in the day warning undocumented immigrants in Brockton to stay indoors to evade a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that she heard was planned in the city.

"It completely undermines law enforcement," Sheriff tells House Subcommittee about Brockton politician who tipped illegals off to ICE raid.

— Bristol Sheriff Dpt. (@BCSO1)March 28, 2017

Speaking to The Enterprise by phone after delivering his testimony to the House subcommittee, Hodgson said that DuBois was putting federal law enforcement officers in danger. Hodgson said that, as a matter of policy, ICE is targeting the most “criminal illegal aliens,” including gang members, drug dealers and the most violent offenders among the undocumented immigrant population.

“Alerting people ahead of time disrupts our ability to get these people off the street and puts our officers at risk,” Hodgson said. “It's completely unacceptable that any elected official would violate their oath and put the interests of criminal illegal aliens ahead of the public who elected her to fulfill her fundamental responsibilities in public office. ... If she wants to do that, step down. Your responsibility is to help law enforcement, not to undermine it.”

Hodgson said he believes what DuBois did is a potential violation of federal law, under the charge of harboring or concealing anyone known to be in the country illegally. Hodgson said it is punishable by up to five years in prison.

“It's a felony under federal law,” Hodgson said. “She did so knowingly. ... Frankly, she took the same oath that all of us in government take. We have an obligation to uphold the laws in our community, and that includes federal laws. If she doesn't like the laws, she needs to lobby to change them.”

Hodgson asked rhetorically if DuBois would also be willing to tip off the targets of a federal drug raid in Brockton as well.

DuBois said she received the information from a member of the Latino community, warning that ICE would be conducting a raid in Brockton on Wednesday. DuBois included the message in a post on Facebook.

"If you are undocumented, don't go out on the street," said the message, posted by DuBois. "If there is a knock on the door of your house and you don't know who it is, don't open the door. I ask you to be careful."

The message quickly spread online. The viral post sparked a backlash, with many people claiming that she was trying to shield criminals from law enforcement. DuBois then said that the information she shared was based on “rumor,” not solid information.

DuBois later said she hopes that those who opposed her warning about an ICE raid could collaborate on different issues of agreement.

"I hope we can work on all the other issues together and that this one difference of opinion does not hurt our working relationship," DuBois wrote.

In a statement to The Enterprise, DuBois addressed criticism leveled by Hodgson, arguing that the information she shared was already spreading "all over the community," and that her Facebook post allowed ICE to know that the targets of their raid were aware of its plans.

“So I do not agree with Sheriff Hodgson on his point before a federal panel in Washington DC that my public Facebook post places any law enforcement in danger,” DuBois said.

Hodgson said DuBois was just backtracking to cover for her mistake. If she was really trying to help ICE, the Brockton lawmaker would have called the federal law enforcement agency about it.

“Why would any elected official be so irresponsible?” Hodgson said. “Does she post every rumor she receives on Facebook to the public? What she's saying absolutely makes no sense. She's trying to cover up for what she did. She really ought to step down.”

Sheriff Hodgson testifying before House Subcommittee on illegal immigration in DC today.pic.twitter.com/FohdoozGxu

— Bristol Sheriff Dpt. (@BCSO1)March 28, 2017

Sheriff takes questions from Chinese media after immigration testimony in Washington DC.pic.twitter.com/A06MMmudrw

— Bristol Sheriff Dpt. (@BCSO1)March 28, 2017