Residents of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's district are expressing their anger over the surge of migrants and crime into the Queens, New York City neighborhood, accusing the congresswoman of "abandoning" the people who got her elected.
"Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos Duffy visited residents in Jackson Heights, in the heart of AOC's district, to speak with concerned voters about how the influx of illegal immigration and crime has impacted their neighborhood.
"Things have just really gone into overdrive. It's unbearable they say," Campos-Duffy told Steve Doocy on Wednesday. "The other thing is just this giant disconnect between what AOC cares about … and what they as a community care about."
"You see AOC obsessed with climate change. They just want the trash… from these illegal vendors…that's piling up, cleaned up," she continued. "They're worried about the public urination by these vendors even in front of children."
The Jackson Heights neighborhood has battled illegal flea markets recently, which has had a detrimental impact on small businesses trying to compete with the ultra-low street prices. Crime in the area has also spiraled out of control, prompting some to fear for their safety.
"There's so much immigration. There's so many Venezuelans, Ecuadorians, Mexicans that crossed over… due to Biden," one resident said. He added that crime has surged in the area.
Campos-Duffy translated for many of the Spanish-speaking residents, many of whom told her they haven't felt safe in their district and are desperate for things to change.
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"After 7 p.m…. You cannot walk around here," one woman told Campos-Duffy.
"I feel very unsafe, truly. I've had three times someone try to assault me, try to pull… my gold chain," another woman said.
"Brick-and-mortar businesses are suffering a lot," Ramses Frias, a former Democrat who is running for State Assembly District 39, said. "We have a lot of closed doors, a lot of businesses that are just closing every single day because they can't compete with the prices of… the street vendors outside are giving everyone."
Frias previously shot video obtained by Fox News Digital that showed how the once-vibrant community in the Democrat's 14th Congressional District has essentially deteriorated into a large flea market with trash overflowing on street corners, leading to unsavory and unhygienic conditions.
In response to the video, Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement to "Fox & Friends": "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. This is just one way of many that anti-immigrant policies hurt all of us. Paths to citizenship and work documentation can solve this problem - but Republicans would rather block those so they can film people in their worst moments for views."
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Residents told Fox News that businesses in the area are suffering as a result of the migrant influx and crime. Many have closed their doors early and others have been forced to shut down permanently.
"We take pride in our place," one woman said. "We work really hard. We are immigrants who came here for the right reasons to work, and we just wish that those who aren't complying with the law would be held accountable."
Campos-Duffy asked the voters what message they wanted to send to AOC amid the current challenges on city streets.
"We would ask her to do her job of taking care of this neighborhood," one resident said.
"She is never here," one woman told Campos-Duffy. "I was a volunteer for her. She completely abandoned our community. I hope that she sees this interview because we all helped her get elected. She said she only cares about Washington and her money. Nobody loves her here anymore."
Campos-Duffy even paid a visit to AOC's office, but she was nowhere to be found. She was told the congresswoman is only there one day a week because it's a "satellite office."
"This is a total disconnect between what AOC, who is rarely ever there, is ensconced in her… penthouse in Washington, D.C., and what the people of this community care about," Campos-Duffy said. "They say the conditions are simply unlivable. It's dangerous, and they want something to change."
Fox News' Elizabeth Heckman and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
