AOC dodges question about why she hasn’t visited border since Biden took over despite constantly complaining about migrant issues there while Trump was president

The Democrat AOC has dodged questions about why she has not visited the overcrowded US-Mexico border since President Biden took office.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 33, avoided the investigation three times — saying instead plans are in the works to visit the border crossing in the future.

The Democrat, who has been the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019, highlighted how the migrant crisis was now in her “back yard,” with an influx of asylum seekers into the Big Apple.

When asked how the Biden administration has handled the immigration problem, AOC admitted it was a weak link — but avoided answering why she did not visit the disputed border during her interview with the New York Times.

Ocasio-Cortez told the NYTimes, “Immigration is perhaps this administration’s weakest issue.

“This is an area where our policy is dictated by politicians, perhaps more than in any other area.

“There are very clear recommendations and suggestions that we have made to the government to provide relief on this issue, and I believe that part of the hesitation on this has to do with the fear of being seen as just approving or provision of consent structures. or really just the Republican narratives around immigration.

“We also need to investigate and address the root causes of this migration that this problem does not start with our border, but with our foreign policy.”

She was then asked directly by the reporter, “Why didn’t you use your considerable influence as Latina’s leader to visit the border and highlight the ongoing issues there now, as you did during the Trump administration?”

AOC dodged the question and replied, “Well, this is something we are actively working on. What I’ve done is tours of our facilities in the New York area.

“Right now, this crisis is happening in our own backyard, and we’ve visited the Roosevelt Hotel, and I think it’s been really important for us to – especially to my constituents, who are demanding accountability on this – look at that frontline. it’s here in New York City.”

Migrants navigate concertina wire along the banks of the Rio Grande after crossing from Mexico to the US, Tuesday, August 1

When asked how the Biden administration has handled the immigration problem, AOC admitted it was a weak link but avoided answering why she has not visited the controversial border.

AOC did not answer the question when pressed again, despite being “a self-proclaimed and widely viewed leader in this field.”

Instead of saying why she didn’t go to the border, the Democrat said she thinks “this is something we’ve been working on.”

She added, “If this crisis is happening right here in our own backyard, I’ve definitely prioritized that visitation presence.”

When AOC was asked for the third time how relevant she made her stance on immigration without visiting, AOC replied, “Yes. And again, I’m going to visit the border.’

The Democrat visited the border in July 2019, when Trump was in power.

And in June 2018, she also visited border towns in Texas to see how migrant children lived before she was elected to Congress.

Earlier this week, more than 100 business leaders in New York City wrote an open letter calling on President Joe Biden to “take immediate action to better control the border” and speed up the asylum and work permit process for migrants.

The letter, published Monday, was addressed to “President Biden and congressional leaders” and supported New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent plea for increased federal resources to respond to the migrant influx.

The letter comes at a time when New York City has been overrun with 100,000 migrants, filling shelters and leaving many on the sidewalks of Manhattan.

Concertina wire is seen on the riverbank as migrants cross the Rio Grande into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas on August 4, 2023

“Business in New York is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis resulting from the continued flow of asylum seekers to our country,” the letter said.

“The situation is overwhelming the resources not only of the Border Region, but also of city and state governments across the country,” it added, noting that New York City alone has received more than 100,000 migrants whose eventual asylum and work status remains unclear.

A White House official responded in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying the Biden administration has “led the largest expansion of legal routes to immigration in decades” and is “committed to building a humane, safe and orderly immigration system.” ‘.

Signatories to the recent open letter included Albert Bourla of Pfizer, Jaime Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Jeff Gennette of Macy’s and Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon.