News/Commentary

Furious New Yorkers shout down AOC as migrant presser goes off the rails: ‘Close the border!’

September 15, 2023 | | Print Article

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was drowned out by furious protesters in New York City during a press conference concerning the migrant crisis with New Yorkers shouting “Close the border!” and “Send them back!”

The event threatened to get violent. This was the clearest indication yet that New Yorkers are fed-up with migrants being forced on them.

Protesters heckled Ocasio-Cortez as she tried and failed to speak on the subject at the press conference. Rep. Jerry Nadler and other Democrats were also shouted down on Friday.

The angry New Yorkers stood their ground outside the Roosevelt Hotel mega-shelter in Midtown on Friday morning. The growing anger was palpable as chaos ensued.

“Send them back!” a man shouted as the angry scene played out in front of the city’s main migrant intake site.

“Close the border, close the border! Respect the Constitution, AOC. I am your constituent,” another male protester yelled at Ocasio-Cortez.

One incensed protester was grabbed by a security guard and shoved behind a barricade, according to the New York Post.

Signs proclaiming “Americans first: Vetted & legal migrants only” were brandished by what increasingly looked like an enraged mob on East 45th Street.

Ocasio-Cortez was grandstanding with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus when the protesters descended on the press conference.

“What we seek to do is to make sure that all the resources are necessary and that we are joining with the city and state,” the New York Democratic Socialist said before a megaphone-wielding man started shouting her down, according to Fox News.

“Illegal immigration is not right! Respect the Constitution, close the border,” he screamed at Ocasio-Cortez.

She attempted to voice what she sees as solutions to the migrant crises that are spinning out of control in New York City.

“I think that there are three points of consensus here that are very important in getting a solution to that issue. The first is that there is consensus here across geographies and states on increased federal resources to cities and municipalities dealing with this issue,” Ocasio-Cortez declared.

“The second is to allow for work authorizations so that folks in here can get to work and start supporting themselves as soon as possible. They are prevented from getting jobs. They are prevented from employment and that is part of the strain on our public systems. The faster that folks can access the work that they’re asking for, legally, the better we can solve,” she asserted.

None of that placated the crowd in the least. The more she spoke, the louder the crowd yelled and Ocasio-Cortez shut up less than two minutes into her political diatribe.

“Ready to wrap up?” she asked her fellow Democrats, according to the Washington Examiner.

Fox News reported that Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) claimed the delegation was there to “see for themselves what the migration dynamic is in our nation,” and asserted that they saw children, families, “people that want to work, people that are fleeing violence, people that are fleeing environmental disasters.”

“We see so many stories, heartbreaking stories manifest itself here. What I think, these are folks that will take New York City to a better place,” he stated as the protesters drowned him out.

“Every crisis presents great opportunity. There’s hope and opportunity in this building,” Espaillat went on, noting that “this is a contentious issue,” while gesturing toward the protesters who continued to chant “Close the border!”

The hashtag #CloseTheBorder has now gone viral:

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