Residents of the Bronx are continuing to push back against a migrant shelter that is planned to be set up that would house over 2,000 male migrants, something that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) continue to support despite constituents saying otherwise.
According to Fox News, Christopher Reid, chairman of the New York Young Republican Club’s Brox Caucus, said during an interview with “Fox & Friends” that Ocasio-Cortz needs to check with the people she is supposed to be representing.
“To AOC, I would say, talk to your constituents. I’ve been through these neighborhoods… Nobody wants it there,” Reid said.
The shelter in the South Bronx is part of the city’s strategy to streamline its migrant housing system by closing 46 smaller facilities, reducing the overall bed count by approximately 10,000.
Some city leaders endorse this move, but others, including Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), have criticized it, claiming the Bronx is being used as a migrant “dumping ground.” Local residents have raised concerns about crime, overburdened resources, and insufficient community input. City officials maintain that the shelter will be temporary and will have security measures in place.
Ocasio-Cortez — whose district includes the shelter site — has been a vocal advocate for New York City’s migrant population. Recently, her office organized a “Know Your Rights with ICE” webinar to educate undocumented residents on their rights when approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In an almost two-hour long video posted on X, Ocasio-Cortez goes over the best things people can do to protect themselves from ICE.
“One of the most important things that you can do in an environment and a time like this, is to educate yourself,” Ocasio-Cortz said. “Knowing what is going on, is not the same thing as reading a headline. Ok? Knowing how things work, political education. This stuff is important, because you can’t do anything if you don’t know where the vulnerabilities are and understand the big picture.”
