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NYC Mayor Adams says cruise ships could be used to house migrants

Shelters in New York City are so full because of the migrant crisis that Mayor Eric Adams is thinking about using cruise ships to house people temporarily.

“We examined everything from the legality of using any type of cruise ship for temporary housing,” Hizzoner during an interview on WCBS Sunday.

“We’re looking at everything to see, how do we deal with this?”

Adams made the suggestion just hours before The Post reported that a record number of 9 buses carrying migrants had come into the city.

Most of the time, between 40 and 50 people travel on each bus.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams tours asylum seeker resource navigation center, The American Red Cross. Located at 520 W 49st., mhtn. This morning. He left before migrants would begin to arrive. He briefly spoke to press after tour. nypostinhouse
Adams believe cruise ships will help ease the toll on NYC’s overwhelming homeless and migrant issue as shelters struggle.
Robert Miller

The number of people is overwhelming the shelter system in New York. Full-time facilities are being pushed to their limits, which hurts the quality of life in the area. The city has opened 23 emergency shelters, but there are still not enough beds.

Adams says that cruise ships could help relieve some of the stress, and that they were one option that the Bloomberg administration thought about when there was a rush of people moving to the United States.

A Norweigan Breakaway is spotted leaving NYC under the Varrazzano.
A Norweigan Breakaway is spotted leaving NYC under the Varrazzano.
Wayne Carrington

Adams didn't say anything else about the possible floating shelters, but he criticized the federal policy that says migrants can't work in the US before they get work permits.

“We’re saying, ‘You could come here, but you are not allowed to work.’ That is unbelievable,” Adams said, noting the shortages in various sectors, including food, healthcare and transit.

Cruise ship
Another recommendation for the migrant issue is shipping them to cities in upstate New York.
Corbis via Getty Images

“We need to look and see what we are facing shortages, how do we go about allowing people to take care of themselves? If not, we, the government, must take care of them. That just makes no sense.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand suggested on Friday that newly arrived immigrants be moved to upstate cities that are having trouble with unemployment. This could help the cities get a lot of federal money.

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