Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told President Joe Biden to “take responsibility” and “reverse course” on the administration's decision to add sections to a border wall in South Texas, emphasizing her belief that “a wall does nothing to deter people.”

“The Biden administration was not required to expand construction of the border wall — and they certainly were not required to waive several environmental laws to expedite the building," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement on Thursday. "The President needs to take responsibility for this decision and reverse course.”

BIDEN REVERSES COURSE AND BUILDS BORDER WALL WITH TRUMP FUNDING

In a stunning announcement late Wednesday evening, the Biden administration said it would bypass 26 federal laws to build more border wall in southern Texas, acknowledging the pressing problem of illegal immigration from Mexico.

Despite announcing the additional construction of the barrier along the southern border, Biden said he doesn't believe border walls are effective. When asked on Thursday if he thinks such a barrier works, he said, “No.”

“The money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. “I can’t stop that."

The representative said the barriers won't discourage immigration, adding that the fence cannot apprehend border crossers who are leaving their country due to violence or poverty.

“A wall does nothing to deter people who are fleeing poverty and violence from coming to the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “You do not risk your life or your childrens' lives going through the Darien Gap or traversing hundreds of miles of desert if you have any other options. Walls only serve to push migrants into more remote areas, increasing their chances of death. It is a cruel policy.”

Ocasio-Cortez encouraged the administration to look into the root causes of illegal immigration, looking into the reasons why people are leaving their countries of origin. The New York congresswoman also said U.S. sanctions, such as those originally authored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Venezuela’s financial and oil sectors, help contribute to illegal immigration.

“Instead, the U.S. must take examining the root of migration more seriously, re-examine policy towards Latin America, and stop contributing to the destabilization that drives migration — as Senator Marco Rubio's Venezuela sanctions have done," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We also have to finally invest in meaningful immigration reform."

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The funds that permitted the construction of around 20 miles of additional border wall were appropriated by Congress in 2019, during Trump’s presidency.

During his 2020 campaign, Biden said that “not another foot of wall would be constructed on my administration,” noting he would not tear down the Trump-era walls that were already built.