NYC Mayor’s Office / Youtube
At an unrelated Thursday press conference, a reporter followed up with Mayor Eric Adams on his recent statement that he’s open to the idea of housing migrants at Gracie Mansion – as long as “it doesn’t go against legal protocols.” Apparently, it does.
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“You mentioned recently the prospect of housing migrants at Gracie Mansion,” the reporter began, as a smirk came over Adams’ face – “and that there were some kind of legal issues to get hashed out. Do you have any clarity on what those issues are, how they can be kind of addressed?”
No clarity was provided, but a response was.
“I think that leading this challenge of the migrant problem is both substantive and symbolic,” the mayor replied. “And as I always say, a good general leads from the front. They don’t send their troops into battle and ask ‘how was the war?’; they lead them into battle. And so the symbolism of saying, ‘hey, I’m willing to put a homeless family in Gracie, is that symbolism.”
Adams then addressed the actual question. “There seems to be some legal issues with that; the law department looked at it, and we’re never gonna break the law.” He then patted himself on the back for being “willing to open up the people’s house to the people of the city.”
Earlier this week, Mayor Adams’ office announced the opening of two Upper West Side shelters housing over 800 migrants.
