News/Commentary

NYC Mayor Eric Adams walks back ‘symbolic’ pledge to house illegals at Gracie Mansion

June 16, 2023 | | Print Article

New York City Mayor Eric Adams weaseled out of a pledge that he would lead by example when it came to housing the swarm of illegal aliens who have descended on the Big Apple, now saying that he won’t be able to put up migrants at Gracie Mansion after all.

In a Thursday press conference at City Hall, Hizzoner told reporters that his offer to give room and board to some of the new arrivals isn’t possible due to “legal issues” and that the symbolism of his generous offer should be good enough to demonstrate that he has taken leadership on the migrant crisis.

“I think leading the challenge of the migrant problem is both substantive and symbolic and as I always say, ‘Good generals lead from the front,’ Adams said.

(Video: YouTube/NYC Mayor’s Office)

“They don’t send their troops into battle and ask, ‘How was the war?’ They lead them into battle,” he added. “And so the symbolism of saying, ‘Hey, I’m willing to put a homeless family in Gracie’ is that symbolism.”

“There seems to be some legal issues with that,” Adams said. “The law department looked at it and we’re never gonna break the law and so we’ll be able to know what we can do and what we can’t do as a symbolism of saying, ‘I’m willing to open up the people’s house to the people of the city.’”

“I am a big believer in leading from the front,” Adams told the New York Post earlier this month when asked if he’d open up the historic home of Gotham’s leaders to the migrants after he had unveiled a plan asking private residents to open up their own residences as temporary shelters.

“If it doesn’t go against legal protocols — there are protocols in place so I can’t use the building in any way I want — but I don’t have a problem if I could put a migrant family in Gracie Mansion,” Adams added.

On Thursday, he was singing a much different tune and cited “legal issues” without offering up a more detailed explanation of what drove him to abandon his pledge as he pitched the idea of New Yorkers allowing the illegals to bunk in their spare rooms.

“It is my vision to take the next step to this faith-based locales and then move to a private residence,” Adams said. “There are residents who are suffering right now because of economic challenges, they have spare rooms, they have locales.”

“If we can find a way to get over the 30-day rule and other rules that government has in… place, we can take that $4.2 billion – $4.3 maybe now -that we potentially have to spend and put it back in the pockets of every day New Yorkers, everyday houses of worship instead of putting it in the pockets of corporations and some of those corporations come from outside our city,” he added. “We should be recycling our own dollars,” he added.

So now it will be up to New Yorkers to open up their own homes to the illegals since the luxurious accommodations at Gracie Mansion have been crossed off the list but hey, it’s the symbolism that counts.

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Chris Donaldson
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