DSA chapters get their membership from national. You can only join national and get your chapter assigned based on your zip code.

If NYCDSA is allowing people to join them directly then that would be a big deal.

IIRC she had NYCDSA's endorsement but not national.

Edit from this article:

Earlier this month, in an interview on ABC, host Jonathan Karl asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she was still a member of DSA. She responded: “Of the New York City chapter.”

Fucking NYCDSA