Espaillat, AOC Shouted Down By Anti-Immigrant Protesters In Midtown

MIDTOWN, NY — Anti-immigrant protesters shouted down U.S. Representatives Adriano Espaillat and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a Midtown press conference that descended into chaos Friday morning.

Espaillat, Ocasio-Cortez and several other House Democrats had just toured the temporary shelter for hundreds of migrant families on East 45th Street and Park Avenue when they were met with angry chants.

“Close the border,” some protesters chanted; others demanded, “send them back.”

One notable protester in the crowd included Queens City Council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi, the New York Post reported, adding that a screaming Rinaldi was shoved behind a barricade at one point.

“As you see, this is a contentious issue, but we are all Americans,” Espaillat said, referencing the small but ferocious crowd of protesters. “We all believe in the American dream. That’s the common denominator here.”

The pair of New York representatives mainly focused the discussion around “common-sense solutions” to the months-long migrant crisis, which has resulted in over 110,000 asylum seekers in New York City since last spring.

“What we saw were children, families, people that want to work, people that are fleeing violence, people that are fleeing environmental disasters,” Espaillat said. “We see so many stories, heartbreaking stories … I think these are folks that will take New York City to a better place. Every crisis presents great opportunities. There’s hope and opportunity in this building.”

Ocasio-Cortez also called for increased federal resources to cities dealing with an influx of migrants, allow more work authorization for migrants and extension of temporary protected status for Venezuelans, the largest population of migrants arriving in the city.

“They are prevented from getting jobs, they are prevented from employment, and that is part of the strain on our public systems,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“The faster that folks can access the work they’re asking for, legally, the better we can solve this problem.”

Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams announced a new emergency shelter in Long Island City as the number of asylum seekers currently in the city’s care approaches 60,000. But while Adams applauded his administration for stepping up "to meet the challenge of this humanitarian crisis," he called on more support from state and federal officials to "truly address this crisis.”