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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Our system... does not extend the same legal protections as…”

Featuring: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic | U.S. House, New York, District 14

September Virtual Town Hall

Published September 25, 2025 | Video Starts at 39:18

If you do not have a lawyer that you have connected with, if you end up by for any reason being detained and you don't have already have a lawyer, it is extremely difficult in Our system... does not extend the same legal protections as if you are... jailed by non-immigration court. by non immigration court or non immigration facilities where you have a, you have certain legal rights. (39:18–39:47)

CLAIM

Asserts that the immigration detention system does not provide the same legal protections as non-immigration detention.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“It is the first school and the first dual language Albanian program not just in the Bronx, not just in New York City, not just in the United…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 08:06-08:23
“The One Big Beautiful Bill act cuts almost $1 trillion, I believe, from, from in, in health care cuts across the board.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 15:59-16:10
“ACA Marketplace plans, some of them are projected to go up whether it's your monthly premium or what have you go up by 75% due to the…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 22:36-22:53
“They're putting $170 billion immediately into ICE, 30 billion to recruit 10,000 more deportation officers, and 45 billion for detention…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 35:08-35:24
“The $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles will expire on September 30th.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 44:40-44:49
“It was the first time in history that a new Congress was sworn in to a shutdown government.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 51:00-51:06
“Finalized our delivery of $2.4 million to the Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 05:16-05:29
“Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens provides a ton of services to our constituents and to our residents here.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 05:47-05:57
“They help people with everything from job training and placement to legal counseling and financial services.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 05:56-06:07
“We are glad to have secured federal grant money so that they can be a permanent fixture in our community.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 06:37-06:46
“There is a proposal around traffic diversions and building out some traffic diversion areas [near the Cross Bronx by Starlight Park].”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 07:09-07:29
“We have been trying to do everything we can to oppose some of these Con Ed rate hikes that people are experiencing and that are also being…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 09:00-09:16
“Many of the first responders on September 11th have still not received citizenship nor received access to a path to citizenship.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 10:01-10:16
“Healthy Start is a program for maternal and infant health across the United States.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 10:46-10:54
“The United States has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the developed world.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 11:52-12:00
“Healthy Start alone has helped over 10,000 mothers in New York.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 12:14-12:21
“I was able to secure unanimous approval in the House Energy and Commerce Committee [for the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act].”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 12:40-12:55
“I've also been an original co-sponsor on introduction of the Block the Bombs act.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 13:39-14:00
“The United States adheres to their own laws in preventing weapons transfers to states that are found in violation of human rights.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 13:48-14:00
“Starting on July 1st of next year, if you have an essential plan in New York, a New York essential plan, Republicans have in the One Big…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 17:06-17:27
“With Medicaid, most of the Medicaid cuts and changes are going into effect this December, next December, December of 2026.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 17:55-18:08
“They've also enacted that asylees, refugees and TPS holders will no longer be eligible for Medicaid.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 20:10-20:17
“The advisory committee makes and establishes the official federal recommendations on immunization.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 25:40-25:54
“Insurers have said that they plan on covering immunizations that the prior immunizations up until the end of next year.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 26:54-27:06
“Any changes after to this after 2026 may affect insurance coverage of any of which immunizations you may or may not choose.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 27:06-27:19
“SNAP overall is going to be expanding work requirements for people ages 18 to 64.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 30:04-30:15
“They are going to be removing exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals and foster youth that they have within the program.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 30:16-30:28
“They are narrowing exemptions on SNAP for parents of children only if your child is under 14.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 30:27-30:38
“It also is going to add additional restrictions based on immigration status.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 30:39-30:45
“New York State just passed a new law enacting universal free school breakfast and lunch.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 31:36-31:45
“This program essentially cuts billions and billions and billions of dollars from our health care system and our food assistance system.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 33:36-33:47
“It plows it into dramatically expanding immigration enforcement.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 33:47-33:55
“They are expanding ICE to a level that is unseen and unheard of in American history.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 34:15-34:29
“That includes $170 billion immediately to ICE.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 34:55-35:02
“This is a dramatic expansion of private companies that will be holding immigrants.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 35:49-35:59
“They are also jacking up the filing fees to make it even harder to come the right way.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 36:21-36:29
“They are now asking for $100 upfront and $100 per year that your [asylum] application is pending.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 36:49-36:58
“TPS registration... fee from $50 to apply for TPS to $500 to apply for TPS.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 37:06-37:20
“The motion to reopen a case is increasing from $145 maximum to over $1,000.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 37:50-38:00
“They are also charging a filing fee for an initial work permit... to $550.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 38:02-38:14
“The Trump administration is narrowing instead of supporting all sorts of energy infrastructure, they are canceling repealing more affordable…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 42:03-42:22
“We are looking at some documented increases in our energy bills due to this, due to the federal government changes.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 42:36-42:47
“The Trump administration is ending many of the renewable and home energy efficiency tax benefits.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 44:26-44:36
“Other tax credits if you are a homeowner up to $3,200 for home energy upgrades are expiring at the end of the year.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 45:38-45:48
“Republicans have the House majority, the Senate majority, and Donald Trump has the White House.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 50:19-50:24
“The last time we had a very serious government shutdown was during the Trump administration.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 50:47-50:58
“The Trump administration enacts all of these cuts and layoffs when they want to, when it was open.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 51:39-51:48
“The Trump administration has quietly been rehiring and trying to rehire many of the people that they laid off earlier this year.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 52:30-52:46
“The Trump administration has been engaging in all of this activity when the government is open.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 55:00-55:06
“The one big beautiful bill act actually does not touch section 8 extensively.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 55:39-55:47
“The House Appropriations Bill is seeking to cut the total amount of funds to public housing authorities to spend on Section 8 vouchers by at…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 56:30-56:57
“The Trump administration is now trying to sunset [emergency housing vouchers from the American Rescue Plan] to next year.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 58:46-59:09
“I am a vocal and very strong proponent of Medicare expansion as well as Social Security expansion.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:00:38-1:00:49
“We are fighting to make sure that we expand Medicare to include vision and dental insurance.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:01:24-1:01:35
“We are also working very hard to lift the cap, the tax cap, [on] Social Security.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:02:00-1:02:00
“I am a proud co-sponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:02:55-1:02:59
“I worked very hard to cap the cost of prescription drugs at $2,500 for those covered under Medicare Part D.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:03:15-1:03:24
“We finally got the ADA ramp at the Jackson Heights Post office.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:03:36-1:03:43
“Donald Trump is less popular than he has ever been. He is underwater on virtually every issue.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:05:41-1:05:51
“More people disapprove and are opposed to this administration right now than they are in support of this administration.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:06:05-1:06:15
“The Trump administration, as we have seen, has threatened the FCC licenses of people who air their political critics.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:07:30-1:07:39
“Earlier this year when [Target] announced that they were going to comply in advance by trying to eliminate all of their DEI…”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:09:23-1:09:41
“Disney Corporation bringing themselves to heel for the Trump administration around their threats to the FCC.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:10:52-1:11:03
“Those boycotts alone likely prevented a mass consolidation of political influence at the FCC around broadcast licenses.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:11:05-1:11:18
“The boycott of Target worked.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:13:14-1:13:17
“The boycott of ABC worked.”
September Virtual Town Hall | Uploaded September 25, 2025 | 1:13:16-1:13:19