
New York City Mayor Eric Adams found himself embroiled in controversy on Tuesday after making remarks seemingly suggesting that illegal immigrants could alleviate the city’s lifeguard shortage due to their swimming abilities.
During a City Hall briefing addressing the ongoing lifeguard staffing issues at New York City pools and beaches, Adams remarked, “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. That just doesn’t make sense.”
“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 added. “It’s the same for lifeguards.”
Mayor Adams says illegal aliens could be used to fill New York City's lifeguard shortage because they are "excellent swimmers." pic.twitter.com/IXDJNADnPY
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 14, 2024
Adams’ comments come amid reports of a persistent lifeguard shortage in the city, prompting authorities to relax qualification criteria for applicants in recent months.
The mayor expanded on his proposal to address the staffing challenges, drawing parallels with expedited processes for other professions facing shortages. He emphasized the need to streamline bureaucratic hurdles to enable eligible individuals, including illegal immigrants, to contribute to essential roles like lifeguarding.
However, Adams’ remarks drew swift criticism, with some accusing him of insensitivity and perpetuating stereotypes. The context of his comments within the broader conversation around illegal immigration and labor shortages further fueled the controversy.
Adams was also mocked hilariously on social media for the comments, with conservative Christian satire site “The Babylon Bee” editor in chief Kyle Mann even joining in to joke that he was firing his writers “for not coming up with this one before reality did.”
Firing my @TheBabylonBee writers for not coming up with this one before reality did https://t.co/uOofOrB6xR
— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) May 14, 2024
New York City has grappled with a significant influx of illegal immigrants, with approximately 160,000 illegal immigrants arriving since April 2022. The strain on resources prompted Mayor Adams to implement budget cuts for government services last year, citing the overwhelming impact of the illegal immigrant population on the city’s infrastructure.
Similar challenges have been observed in other major U.S. cities like Chicago and Denver, where substantial taxpayer resources have been allocated to address the illegal immigrant crisis.
While the exact number of illegal immigrants swimming across the Rio Grande remains unclear, Customs and Border Protection data indicate approximately six million encounters at the southern border since President Joe Biden took office, underscoring the complexity of the illegal immigration situation.