NYC Mayor Eric Adams suggests hiring Illegal Immigrants as Lifeguards because they are ‘Excellent Swimmers’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has suggested that illegal immigrants be hired as lifeguards to address the city’s shortage as summer approaches, labeling them as “excellent swimmers.”
Adams made these comments during a City Hall meeting discussing the staffing issues at beaches and pools, a problem that has persisted in recent years, according to the New York Post.
Adams argued that the lifeguard shortage could be alleviated if migrants had their work visas expedited, allowing them to fill these roles quickly.
“How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, our country, that are excellent swimmers and at the same time we need lifeguards — and the only obstacle is that we won’t give them the right to work to become a lifeguard” Mayor Adams said.
“If we had a plan that said, ‘If there was a shortage of food service workers and those who fit that criteria, we’re going to expedite you,’ if you have experience that you are a nurse and we have nursing shortage, we would expedite you,” he continued.
“It’s the same for lifeguards. We have all these eligible people waiting to work, with the skills we need to do the jobs, but we are unable to allow them to work because bureaucracy is in the way.”
Although Adams did not directly reference it, many on social media inferred that his comments alluded to the dangerous swim across the Rio Grande that many illegal immigrants risk, or even lose, their lives attempting. However, Adams’ team clarified that his remarks were about the general need to expedite work visas for migrants, with lifeguard positions being a specific example.
“This is not a new comment from the mayor,” a representative for City Hall told the New York Post. “He’s repeatedly made the point that there are people who are qualified for jobs where we have vacancies, they are prepared to do the job, and yet the federal government continues to deny them the legal right to work.”
New York City continues to experience an overwhelming influx of migrants. Mayor Adams has fluctuated in his stance since taking office, initially declaring the city a sanctuary city, but later expressing that the city is “out of room” for migrants and cautioned that the large influx of migrants could “destroy New York City.”
