Ocasio-Cortez urged federal government to loosen immigration laws and allow migrants to work in New York City
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Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, N.Y., slammed the Biden administration in a new interview on immigration, saying it was its "weakest issue."
The progressive Democrat and member of "The Squad" also touched on the migrant crisis affecting New York City, urging the federal government to assist the city in giving aid.
The New York Times published the interview with Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday, delving into her perspective on politics in the five years since she was elected to Congress in 2018.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called out the Biden administration's immigration policies in a recent New York Times interview. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images and Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Ocasio-Cortez gave her thoughts on what she sees as the country’s biggest issues right now, the state of the Democratic Party, and the current administration. As she's done before, Ocasio-Cortez did not shy away from offering criticism.
The Times confronted the lawmaker with several points on the topic, stating, "Under Biden, more asylum seekers are being held in private detention centers than under Trump. Families are still being separated. The Biden administration kept Trump-era policies that sped up deportations and made it harder for legitimate claimants to come to the U.S."
It then asked, "So, what grade do you give the administration on immigration?"
Ocasio-Cortez stated, "Immigration is arguably this administration’s weakest issue. This is one area where our policy is dictated by politics, arguably more so than almost any other."
She claimed that the current administration hasn’t listened to her or other progressive lawmakers’ policy recommendations on the issue because they fear political repercussions.
"There are very clear recommendations and suggestions that we have made to the administration to provide relief on this issue, and it’s my belief that some of the hesitation around this has to do with a fear around just being seen as approving or providing permission structures, or really just the Republican narratives that have surrounded immigration," she said.
When asked why she hasn’t recently visited the southern border like she had during the Trump administration, Ocasio-Cortez said she is planning to but is focusing on the crisis in New York City.
"What I have done is tours of our New York-area facilities. Right now, this crisis is in our own backyard, and we have toured the Roosevelt Hotel, and I think it’s been very important for us to — especially to my constituents, who are demanding accountability on this — to look at that front line that is right here in New York City," she said.
The lawmaker condemned the thinking that the southern border is the main front on the issue. "And I also think that there’s a very, very, very dangerous understanding of the front line of our migration crisis being just our border."
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency over migrant arrivals, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (New York City Mayor's Office)
"And if we only think of the immigration crisis as a border issue and only understand our border as a southern border and not John F. Kennedy Airport, that constitutes a lack of imagination when it comes to immigration," she declared.
Ocasio-Cortez then slammed Biden for his approach to the New York migrant crisis, claiming, "But what we need is partnership from the federal government. And I have not been shy around criticism of how the Biden administration has handled this issue. New York City is the front line on this, and we have regularly asked the administration for many, many different avenues of relief."
"The Biden administration’s refusal to open up work authorizations or extend temporary protective status really prevents us from doing what we do best, which is allowing and creating an environment where immigrants from all over the world can create a livelihood here," she added.
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked the federal government to allow migrants to work in an interview with CBS last week.
Addressing Biden, the mayor said, "The precursor to sleep, to enjoy the American dream, is the right to work. The right to work. Let them work."
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on Ocasio-Cortez's criticism.
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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
