NEWYORK: New York city Mayor Eric Adams said that it is a privilege to be in our country and we need real immigrant reforms.
He was speaking at UNIVISION’s “NOTICIAS UNIVISION 41” in city hall about the executive order signed by the President Joe Biden and reversal of several budget cuts in education programs for the city, among other issues.
When asked about migrant crisis, Mayor said that congress should also hear it, because we need real immigration reform.
“People want to come to this country, but we must do it in an orderly way. Not just in New York, but when I see Denver, Los Angeles, or all of these cities that feel the impact of an immigration system that Congress needs to fix,” he said.
Replying to a question about the executive order signed by President Biden, Mayor Adams said that the goal is, if you think about it, that we have had more than 200,000 migrants in search of asylum entering New York.
“Many first- and second-generation New Yorkers in a city of immigrants are very worried about this. I hear it when I go to Washington Heights, in Harlem, when I move throughout the city,” he said.
“What the president is saying is that we must monitor what happens on the border, control it better. I understand that more appointments will be available, that we are going to look for a strategy that allows people to come and look for their American dream and not end up in a nightmare,” he said.
To another question about immigrants, Mayor Adams said that it is a privilege to be in our country.
“If you violate that privilege by shooting two police officers, this suspect who is also wanted for a wave of robberies and potentially shooting a civilian, we cannot allow people to stay in our country and bring violence against themselves or other inhabitants of the city,” he said.
“Most people in search of asylum want to work and pursue the American dream. We must have a process to vet people and that those who violate the law are responsible,” he said.
To a question about education budget, Mayor Eric Adams said that previous administration put a lot of money into the department of education that was going to disappear in 2024 because it was COVID dollars.
“The federal government gave us money for COVID, but all those dollars were going to disappear. Thanks to better than expected revenue in the city and smart fiscal management, we were able to get money for programs like Summer Rising and other initiatives like 3K and Pre-K. And that’s how we were able to maintain them,” he said.
Mayor Adams also highlighted the achievements and contributions of the Puerto Rican community in the life of New York and the country. From the culture to various legal victories, such as bilingual education, contributions to the arts, of course, the role of Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic to reach the Supreme Court. Among others, the mayor invites everyone to the parade next Sunday to honor the Boricua legacy.
