December 28, 2006

Bloomberg links illegal immigration "crackdown" to tourism

Mayor Mike Bloomberg stuns once again with his outright support for illegal immigration. The end of "44 Million Tourists and Counting" - putatively about tourists coming to New York City - contains this:

The mayor said that a crackdown on illegal immigration was discouraging law-abiding visitors to the city.

"Current immigration policy is making it harder for people from other countries to come to New York, and it's not just hurting tourism but all of our businesses in this city," Mr. Bloomberg said. "Now, we all recognize that in today's world we have to do a better job of securing our borders. But we also have to make sure it's done right."

On the one hand, he might have a slight point. Increased scrutiny to tourist and other visa applications - enacted after that minor incident that occured in his city five years back - may have made it more difficult for people to come here. But, he should take heart that, as far as I know, we've still got an open door for visitors from Saudi Arabia. And, as a matter of policy, we want to make sure that visa recipients actually intend to abide by the terms of the visa and don't stay on as illegal aliens. Other than that, the mind reels trying to think how a supposed "crackdown" on illegal immigration - such as workplace and border enforcement - could impact tourism to his city. Perhaps he's thinking of the workers for his associates and not the tourists themselves.

Posted to Immigration at December 28, 2006 08:30 AM

Comments

we are under attack and this guy call's it tourism?
so when this nation and its people are shot down like dogs what will he call it? War Games for mexico? and bin laden? Oh I forget, that was 9-11.

Buy Guns.

Posted by: Fred Dawes at December 28, 2006 01:06 PM

NYC does not have campgrounds or facilities for illegals to stay as tourists; it does have a number of hotels that charge in the $100-200 and up/night range.
The 9-11 perpetrators were not tourists; they were immigrants, with none of them having had any intentions of any course but to die here, and never go back

Posted by: John S Bolton at December 29, 2006 01:06 AM