Who?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
LISTEN: Laslo & Ocasio-Cortez
Ask a Pol asks:
What do you make of the new tech — from facial recognition apps to DNA swabs — being deployed by ICE (aka, Immigration and Customs Enforcement) against migrant communities?
Key AOC:
“I think it's horrible from any agency perspective whatsoever,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exclusively told Ask a Pol. “ICE, of course, is one of the most concerning, not just because it's an immigration thing, but because they have some of the least guardrails.”
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Caught our ear:
“They privately contract with Amazon, Microsoft,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told us of ICE. “So I think that, from a privacy perspective for all of us, is highly concerning.”
ICYMI — Ted Cruz wants to limit TSA’s use of facial recognition to screen Americans but not migrants
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), slightly edited for clarity.
ICYMI — Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo’s feature on ICE & tech
TRANSCRIPT: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (7-16-2025)
SCENE: During a House vote mid July, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walks up the steps of the Capitol to the 2nd floor.
Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo was monitoring the door and positioned himself to be first — and only — congressional reporter to bounce a question off her before she rushed onto the House floor so she didn’t miss the vote.
Matt Laslo: “How are you ma'am?”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “How you doing today?”
ML: “What do you make of the facial recognition and, like, DNA stuff that ICE is now deploying?”
AOC: “Oh, I mean, I think it's horrible from any agency perspective whatsoever.”
Beeps in background are guests entering Capitol and getting wanded by Capitol Police.
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AOC: “ICE, of course, is one of the most concerning, not just because it's an immigration thing…”
At the threshold leading to the House floor, AOC stops in between two Capitol Police officers — one in uniform, the other in a suit — to answer Laslo, which attracts other members of congressional press corps.
AOC: “…but because they have some of the least guardrails. They privately contract with Amazon, Microsoft and so I think that, from a privacy perspective for all of us, is highly concerning.”
AOC spins and darts to join her colleagues on the House floor.
Reporter: “Congresswoman, are you gonna…”
As she turned, AOC went off mic, so Laslo repeats her last phrase into his recorder.
ML: “‘Highly concerning.’ Thank you ma’am.”
Ewoud Storm van ‘s Gravesande contributed to this report.
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