A neighborhood in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) district is being described as looking more like a third-world country than a thriving American neighborhood, with illegal immigrants blocking sidewalks as they attempt to sell goods and prostitutes openly soliciting passersby.
“We’ve become sort of this epicenter of crime and prostitution and illegal street vending. It’s taken over many streets,” local resident Ramses Frías told Fox News.
“Like most of my like-minded residents, we see this as a third-world market,” he added. “Basically, you just see clothes thrown across the floor … the items are stolen from donation bins or stolen from stores, and they just set up shop outside brick-and-mortar businesses. They take away trade from these businesses and don’t pay taxes.”
The neighborhoods in question are Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst all located in northwestern Queens and all are in Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional district.
This area, once known as one of the most vibrant and diverse in New York City, has “essentially deteriorated into a large flea market with trash overflowing on street corners, leading to unsavory and unhygienic conditions.”
'THIRD WORLD COUNTRY': Video shows AOC's district unrecognizable as migrants overrun the neighborhood, blocking up sidewalks selling clothing and food. https://t.co/gfwxdtbArr pic.twitter.com/xRDrgEiHk6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 16, 2024
In January, a highly publicized raid with New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) present, raided six establishments in the area with direct ties to prostitution.
“Among these legal businesses, you have these single beds — it is clear what is taking place there and this is really bringing down the quality of life of this community and anyone who says this is a victimless crime, just really needs to see the inhumane conditions,” Adams said about the raids that took place in Ocasio-Cortez’s district.
“Trafficking is real … and we’re not going to sit idly by and pretend that it’s not happening,” he added.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to the video, blaming Republicans for taking videos of illegal immigrants in their worst moments and then publicizing them for their political gain.
“What we are seeing here is the result of anti-immigrant policies that deny immigrants proper work permits and vending licenses, and drive them into the shadows of undignified conditions,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News.
Frías, who took the video, is also a former Democrat who is now running for a state assembly position as a Republican. He responded saying that Ocasio-Cortez never campaigned in these neighborhoods.
“I would gladly give her a tour. I would walk her through everything, let her see exactly how it is and how it’s affecting the quality of life for everybody that lives there,” Frías said.
