Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was shouted down by furious New Yorkers Friday at a press conference to address the Big Apple's migrant crisis.
Part of a congressional delegation, the New York Democrat tried to speak outside the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, which is being used as a migrant shelter, the Daily Mail reported.
"My name is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," the progressive lawmaker reportedly began. "I'm here alongside Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and we're incredibly thrilled and excited to be here."
"Close the border!" a man shouted over the congresswoman's speech into a megaphone. "Close the border! Respect the Constitution, AOC! I am your constituent!"
"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," she said, as the man with the megaphone shouted: "Illegal immigration is not right! Respect the Constitution; close the border!"
"As you can see, this is a contentious issue," Espaillat, D-N.Y., said.
According to the Daily Mail, the press conference ended early because the lawmakers were largely drowned out by shouting protesters.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams admitted he doesn't have a solution for the migrant problem and slammed the lack of federal response during a town hall meeting last week.
"Let me tell you something, New Yorkers," Adams said. "Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don't see an ending to this. This issue will destroy New York City."
Adams' office has estimated the issue will cost New York City $12 billion over three years, and it's straining the city's shelter system and social services to the breaking point. Buses of migrants arrive on a near-daily basis, with more than 10,000 arriving each month; 110,000 are scattered across the city's five boroughs.
Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that Democrats will be hurt politically by the migrant issue.
"This was a federal responsibility, period," Cuomo said during a Thursday appearance at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club. "First and foremost. Not the state, not the city. Immigration law is a federal responsibility. ... This is a function for the federal government to manage and make every city, every state do its fair share."
He predicted that former President Donald Trump would use the situation to make political hay.
"It's going to hurt us," Cuomo said. "I'll tell you what Donald Trump is going to say in four words: 'I told you so.'"
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.