NYC mayor faces backlash for suggesting migrants excel at swimming. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing intense criticism from immigration activists over comments he made about migrants being suitable for lifeguard positions due to their swimming abilities. Activists are calling the comments “racist” and “dehumanizing,” implying that Adams is making light of the dangerous journeys migrants take to seek safety in the United States.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Adams was asked about the lifeguard shortage in the city as Memorial Day approaches. He responded by suggesting that migrants and asylum seekers could fill the gap, citing their swimming skills. “How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, and 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?” he said.
Adams’ comments drew swift backlash from immigration activists, who accused him of perpetuating harmful stereotypes and minimizing the struggles of migrants. “New Yorkers are looking to Mayor Eric Adams to unite our City, not foment more division,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “His comments on asylum seekers being ‘excellent swimmers’ implies that because some immigrants had to swim or wade across water on their dangerous journeys to seek safety in the United States, that they would make good lifeguards. This comment is racist, and the Mayor should not be making light of the perilous and often life-threatening journeys people are forced to make to escape violence and persecution.”
“This comment is racist, and the Mayor should not be making light of the perilous and often life-threatening journeys people are forced to make to escape violence and persecution,” he added.
However, the mayor’s office pushed back against the criticism, arguing that Adams’ comments were taken out of context and that he has consistently advocated for the expediting of work permits for asylum seekers to fill labor shortages in various industries, including lifeguarding. “With more than 197,000 migrants who have come through our care since the spring of 2022, Mayor Adams has been clear that there is nothing more un-American than not allowing someone to work,” a city hall spokesperson said.
“The mayor has repeatedly pointed out that there are people in our shelter system right now who are qualified for vacant city jobs — in industries such as food service, construction, manufacturing, lifeguarding, and more — and yet, we cannot hire them because the federal government has not issued them work authorization and the right to work.”
Adams has indeed made similar arguments in the past, calling for a national resettlement strategy and additional funding from the federal government to support migrants and asylum seekers. During a recent interview on FOX5 “Good Day New York,” he suggested designating areas for migrants to work based on national needs and allowing them to work for three years before moving elsewhere.
“We need everything from lifeguards to workers in the racing industry to food service workers,” he said. “It’s really ironic that when we need so many employees across the country, where states and cities are seeing a drop in population, I think that when people are paroled legally into the country, we should designate where they go based on the needs of the country and allow them to work there for three years, and then allow them to go anywhere in the country.”
Despite the mayor’s office’s attempts to clarify Adams’ comments, the controversy has sparked a wider debate around immigration and labor policies in the United States. Critics argue that Adams’ comments perpetuate harmful stereotypes and minimize the struggles of migrants, while supporters see his advocacy for work permits and labor rights as a necessary step towards inclusivity and economic growth.
