U.S. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds a city corridor at I.S. 10 Horace Greeley in Astoria. Picture by Lloyd Mitchell.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a city corridor in Astoria on Feb. 5, throughout which she suggested residents within the 14th Congressional District (NY-14) about how to answer ICE raids and providing legislative updates from Washington.
The city corridor, which befell at I.S. 10 Horace Greeley on thirty first Avenue, additionally featured appearances from Deputy Mayor for Well being Helen Arteaga, Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, Assemblymember Larinda Hooks and newly-elected Assemblymember Diana Moreno, who gained the particular election to succeed Mayor Zohran Mamdani within the thirty sixth Meeting District.
Newly elected Meeting Member Diana Moreno appeared on the city corridor. Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Ocasio-Cortez spoke to constituents about a lot of legislative updates through the occasion, noting that Congress has stalled funding for the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS).
On Jan. 29, Republicans and Democrats within the Senate reached an settlement to take away funding for DHS from a package deal of six spending payments.
The deal approves funding for the treasury, the federal courtroom system, the Well being Division, the Conflict Division (beforehand the Division of Protection) and different businesses till Sept. 30. DHS funding will proceed at its present degree for 2 weeks whereas each side work out a brand new deal to fund the company.
Ocasio-Cortez stated she voted towards a seamless decision to fund DHS for 2 weeks, stating that the company must be “shut down right away.”
In a Q&A bit afterward, Ocasio-Cortez stated ICE should be abolished within the wake of the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. She additionally stated brokers discovered responsible of breaking the legislation needs to be prosecuted.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
She believes that the “ground has shifted” on the politics of ICE throughout the nation within the wake of the Minneapolis shootings, stating that “moderate” politicians are actually standing as much as ICE.
“This moment is very real, and so I want to thank you all for the organizing that you’re doing here,” she stated.
Ocasio-Cortez stated the Trump Administration’s immigration insurance policies have had a “devastating impact” on households in NY-14, notably in neighborhoods similar to Corona and East Elmhurst. Ocasio-Cortez stated some faculties within the district have seen enrollment drop by 10-2o% as a result of mixed-status households are afraid to ship youngsters to highschool and threat being separated.
“Families are so terrified of being separated that they are keeping their kids home,” Ocasio-Cortez advised constituents. “In some schools, we are seeing one in five kids disappearing from classrooms… That, of course, has an effect, not just on that child, but on all the children in that classroom who just had a friend disappear overnight.”
Ocasio-Cortez additionally highlighted the significance of “tightly-knit connections” within the district to assist shield immigrant communities from federal immigration authorities.
She described know your rights training as group preparation “101,” stating that it’s important that immigrant residents are conscious that they don’t have to grant entry to their dwelling if authorities solely possess an administrative warrant.
“An administrative warrant is like monopoly money,” Ocasio-Cortez advised constituents.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell.
She additionally inspired constituents to participate in authorized observer coaching, which goals to coach group members to look at and movie ICE raids within the district. Her workplace can be internet hosting authorized observer teachings with Palms Off NYC within the close to future, she added.
Ocasio-Cortez additional implored immigrant neighbors to have a “safety plan” in place within the occasion of an ICE raid. She stated it’s crucial that residents in mixed-status households take proactive steps to seek out authorized assist earlier than any ICE raids, noting that immigrants detained by ICE wouldn’t have the power to seek out authorized assist.
“But if you have counsel before you’re detained, your lawyer has to be able to see you,” she stated.
A security plan additionally includes having contingency plans in place to select up youngsters from college and who to contact first if a person is detained, Ocasio-Cortez stated.
She additional inspired residents to file a privateness launch together with her workplace, which might allow Ocasio-Cortez to contact ICE on their behalf.
“Without the privacy release. I cannot intervene, because I essentially need your permission,” she stated.
Ocasio-Cortez additionally pointed to the Senate’s latest passage of the Defiance Act, which might allow the victims of non-consensual, sexually express deepfakes to convey civil motion towards creators and distributors. Ocasio-Cortez, who launched companion laws within the Home alongside Republican lawmaker U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, is assured that the invoice will change into legislation and stop people from creating non-consensual, AI-generated porn.
“It provides civil damages up to $250,000 for victims,” she stated. “This is what will not just allow platforms to take down this material, but those kinds of stakes help prevent people from generating it in the first place.”
She additionally advised constituents that she has not too long ago secured $14.2 million in federal funding for tasks within the district, together with $2 million for ADA-accessible enhancements on the N/W Broadway subway station in Astoria and $100,000 to help youth violence interruption packages at Elmcor.
Picture by Lloyd Mitchell.
