When heβs not over-policing train stations or getting baptized at Rikerβs Island, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is busy making incendiary remarks about migrants. At a City Hall briefing Tuesday, Adamsβwho seemingly took a page out of Trumpβs playbookβshared how he believes New Yorkβs lifeguard shortage can be solved.
Adams said that the shortageβwhich is happening right before Memorial Dayβcan be fixed if migrant work visas were expedited so jobs can be filled in a rapid fashion. However, his reasoning was downright ignorant.
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βHow 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 lifeguardsβand the only obstacle is that we wonβt give them the right to work to become a lifeguard?β Adams earnestly asked. βThat just doesnβt make sense.β
Adams didnβt stop there. He continued his asinine reasoning and discussed other jobs that migrants could fill if work permits were accelerated. βIf we had a plan that said, βIf there was a shortage of food service workers and those who fit that criteria, weβre going to expedite you,β if you have experience that you are a nurse and we have nursing shortage, we would expedite you,β Adams stated.
βItβs 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.β This isnβt the first time the mayor has made controversial remarks about this particularly vulnerable population.
Earlier this year, Adams made a call to change New Yorkβs sanctuary policy so it would become easier to deport migrants accused of crimes. Adamsβ political tenure has been saturated with contentionβthis is simply the latest example of it.
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