Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) celebrated millions of dollars in federal funding for her district that was included in a massive spending bill she voted against, while also announcing plans to help coordinate “legal observer” trainings for anti-ICE activists during a town hall event in Queens on Thursday.
Speaking to a packed auditorium of constituents in New York’s 14th Congressional District, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized her opposition to the recently passed $1.2 trillion government funding package, which provides short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“I did not vote for this. I voted no,” Ocasio-Cortez said of the bill, which funds DHS for just two weeks. She went on to criticize the agency overseeing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. “I think we need to shut them down now, right away,” she said.
Moments later, however, the congresswoman highlighted that the same legislation she opposed included millions in funding for projects in her district.
“Included in that bundling — even though I voted no — we were able to secure $14 million for different community funding projects here in New York’s 14th congressional district,” Ocasio-Cortez told attendees. A slide displayed behind her boasted, “Secured $14.2 million for The Bronx and Queens!”
The progressive lawmaker argued that leveraging control over federal funding is the primary way Democrats can obstruct Trump’s deportation policies until after the 2026 midterm elections.
“This upcoming fight on DHS is it,” she declared. “This is the moment. There is no other bite at the apple.”
Ocasio-Cortez also warned of what she described as an “escalation in ICE violence across the U.S.” and urged constituents to remain vigilant for what she called “strange behavior” by federal law enforcement.
As part of that effort, she announced plans to host “legal observer” trainings in partnership with the activist group Hands Off NYC. The sessions, she explained, are designed for individuals who want to monitor and document ICE activity without crossing legal lines.
“In the beginning of this most recent term, we did a lot of ‘know your rights’ education — that’s kind of like the 101,” she said. “This is more like the 102.”
The trainings, according to Ocasio-Cortez, will teach participants how to legally observe, film, and take notes on law enforcement activity “without being deemed as impeding law enforcement.”
Her past “know your rights” webinars previously drew scrutiny from border czar Tom Homan, who questioned whether instructing illegal immigrants on how to avoid ICE encounters could amount to obstruction.
Roughly 80 constituents attended the town hall, many of whom said immigration enforcement was their primary concern. Reactions were mixed.
“They have to sound hopeful,” one woman told the New York Post, expressing skepticism about how much Ocasio-Cortez could realistically accomplish. “I don’t know how much power Congress has to change anything.”
Others were more supportive. Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo, director of the Jackson Heights Immigrant Center, praised the congresswoman’s stance.
“This is a neighborhood where almost every family has an immigrant,” she said. “Knowing that our congressperson is supporting us and standing up for our families is really important.”
Wilson Sanchez, a 66-year-old retiree, gave Ocasio-Cortez a more critical review. “Out of 100, I give her an 80,” he said, adding that he was disappointed she did not address other issues, including the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.
The town hall underscored Ocasio-Cortez’s dual approach: publicly opposing major funding legislation and the Trump administration’s immigration policies, while simultaneously highlighting tangible federal dollars delivered to her district without her help.
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