Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
U.S. Representative for New York
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in October 1989 in New York City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in both international relations and economics from Boston University. While in college, she interned for U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy regarding immigration and foreign affairs and assisted with Spanish-speaking constituents.
She launched a now-defunct publishing company, worked as a bartender, and also worked with the nonprofit National Hispanic Institute. She was an organizer for the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.
She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, assuming office in January 2019.
She is engaged to Riley Roberts. Ocasio-Cortez is Catholic.
In the News…
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently expressed disapproval of the handling of immigration policies by President Biden’s administration.
“Immigration is arguably this administration’s weakest issue,” she stated in an interview. “This is one area where our policy is directed by politics, arguably more so than almost any other.”
“… [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,” Representative Ocasio-Cortez said.
She discussed the high costs of housing and caring for migrants in New York. “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,” she said.
“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.”
She said the administration “lacks imagination when it comes to immigration.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Representative Ocasio-Cortez today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Representative for New York
256 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
