June Newsletter: Know Your Rights for Immigration Court, Protecting Healthcare Services, and Community Project Funding

Table of Contents:

In Our Community
From Capitol Hill
Constituent Corner: Resources Available To You

A Message from the Office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez

To our Neighbors in NY-14,

We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding ways to stay cool! In this month’s newsletter, the office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez would like to update you on the ways she is fighting for you in D.C. and in the district.

***Know Your Rights During a Court Appearance***

ICE has been arresting people at immigration court appearances and routine check-ins across the country. If you or a loved one have an upcoming immigration court date, know you have the right to:

Request a virtual hearing
Request an interpreter
Object to dismissal of your case in court and appeal the decision
Ask for ICE’s request to dismiss your case in writing
Apply for relief from deportation

As a reminder, this is for general informational purposes, and it is not legal advice. If you are in need of legal advice, please contact an attorney.

In Our Community

The heart of our work lies in the vibrant communities of NY-14. See below for ways our office is helping constituents navigate federal agencies and bring resources back to the district.

Constituent Story

Recently our constituent, Nelson, visited our office seeking assistance with a Veterans Affairs benefits claim. Nelson’s claim had been sitting in limbo for 2.5 years, but after our inquiry and assistance, he received $51,000 in retroactive VA benefits!

This is just one of the many wins our incredible casework team achieves regularly for our constituents. If you have an issue pending with a federal agency, please don not hesitate to reach out. We will do our best to assist.

“I deeply appreciate getting involved and my case was settled a month later. Thank you to my Congresswoman Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and her team for their assistance.” -Nelson

Community Project Funding

This month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez announced that she has requested federal funding for 15 community projects that would serve New York’s 14th Congressional District. The proposed projects include debris removal from waterways in the Bronx and Queens, accessibility upgrades for subway stations, literacy support for students in the South Bronx, and more!

2025 Congressional Art Competition

The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide competition hosted by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez recently announced Maverick Mueller from Jackson Heights as the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition from New York’s 14th Congressional District. His winning piece will hang in the halls of Congress for the year ahead!

Announcing GrowNYC’s New York State Regional Food Hub Launch

In 2024, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez secured $1,000,000 in federal funding for GrowNYC to build the New York State Regional Food Hub in Hunts Point. This month, the Congresswoman had the pleasure of joining GrowNYC, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, local elected officials and project partners to celebrate the opening of the New York State Regional Food Hub. This facility will strengthen the local food economy, support New York farmers, and expand access to healthy and affordable foods for low-income communities across New York City.

From Capitol Hill

Challenging The Reckless Republican Reconciliation Bill

In May, House Republicans passed a legislative package that would strip health insurance from 16 million people and repeal clean energy provisions to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Since then, the bill has gone to the Senate. At a 27-hour hearing in May, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez offered an amendment to strike the provision that would allow fossil fuel developers to pay to skip a full environmental review for their proposed projects. Since offering this amendment, a similar provision has been removed from the Senate bill.

Standing up to The Trump Administration During Committee

This past week, the Congresswoman questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy about corruption in our for-profit health insurance system, particularly in Medicare Advantage plans. This came after the Congresswoman had sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice to expand its reported investigation into UnitedHealth Group to include reports that the company is systematically denying and delaying patient care in nursing homes to increase their profits.

Earlier this month Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing to challenge the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement goals. By removing legal status such as Temporary Protected Status and other parole programs, the administration is making people undocumented to meet their arbitrary deportation goals.

Response to Strikes on Iran

In recent weeks, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez denounced President Trump’s attempt to go to war with Iran and cosponsored Congressman Thomas Massie’s bipartisan War Powers Resolution. The Congresswoman also voted in favor of considering Congressman Al Green’s impeachment articles. We want to assure you that the Congresswoman is doing everything in her power to stand against another endless war.

Constituent Corner: Resources Available To You

Extended IRS Resources

The IRS has highlighted several resources to help taxpayers who missed the April 2025 federal income tax return filing deadline and owe taxes, interest and penalties. Taxpayers who owe taxes should file their tax return and pay as soon as they can. Even if a taxpayer cannot afford to immediately pay the full amount of taxes owed, they should still file a tax return and pay as much as possible.

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

Traveling abroad this summer? You can sign up to receive security updates from the Department of State on the country you're visiting through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Make sure your passport is up to date and in compliance with host country requirements. For country-specific information and travel advisories, visit: travel.state.gov

If you are in need of emergency assistance abroad, contact your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You can also reach out to your Member of Congress for help connecting with the State Department.

Mobile Office Hours

This month, our incredible team held mobile office hours at the Clason Point New York Public Library in the Bronx. Common issues our office can assist with are Social Security, Medicare or IRS claims, and passport requests. We can also inquire with USCIS on the status of your immigration case, but we cannot start an immigration case.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest announcements for our mobile office hours!

In service,

The Office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez