Ocasio-Cortez: ‘Immigration is arguably this administration’s weakest issue’

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reproved what she called the Biden administration’s politics-first handling of immigration policy in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times published Wednesday.

“Immigration is arguably this administration’s weakest issue,” said Ocasio-Cortez. 

“This is one area where our policy is dictated by politics, arguably more so than almost any other.”

Immigration and border security have been a thorn in President Biden’s side from the day of his inauguration, in large part because Republicans have turned the issues into a centerpiece of their opposition to his White House.

The Biden administration has adopted a cautious approach in response, often angering its allies on the left without cooling Republican attacks.

Ocasio-Cortez noted the administration has regularly ignored policy recommendations from its allies, a reality that’s fueled speculation among immigrant advocates on the White House’s motivations.

“… [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,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

The New York lawmaker was sharply critical of the administration over its refusal to open up the executive toolkit to speed up work permits for newly arrived asylum-seekers.

That issue has thrust the White House, Congress, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) into a standoff, with all parties laying and deflecting blame over rising housing costs for migrants who can’t legally work.

“I think the issue that New Yorkers have is not that there are immigrants coming to New York City, but that immigrants are being prevented from sustaining and supporting themselves. We have New Yorkers, and we have New York businesses, that want to receive migrants and want to employ migrants,” said Ocasio-Cortez, listing an array of New York industries eager to find more employees.

“And the Biden administration’s refusal to open up work authorizations or extend [Temporary Protected Status (TPS)] 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.”

While the eligibility of asylum seekers and parolees for employment is a legal morass with few easy solutions, advocates have been clamoring for the administration to aggressively use TPS.

Under that policy, countries are designated as too dangerous for their nationals to return, and all nationals from designated countries in the United States are eligible to apply to stay in the country and work legally.

Certain foreign nationals are excluded from TPS benefits for national security or past criminal behavior, and the Department of Homeland Security can designate any country for up to 18 months.

The Biden administration has reversed the Trump administration’s policy of winding down existing designations, but advocates have called for more aggressive designations to cover new arrivals.

Administration officials have reportedly cited the potential to attract more migrants, as well as litigation, for their cautious approach to TPS.

Ocasio-Cortez said the broader issue of migration “starts with our foreign policy,” and that border security extends far beyond the U.S.-Mexico line.

“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.

“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.”