NEW YORK—During a SoundCloud speech about immigration reform on Sunday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said “Our country needs more immigrants, and we need to make sure those who are here have the opportunity to stay here and help us grow our economy.”
“The enterprise and hard work of immigrants are key reasons why New York has done better than many other cities in the nation in recovering from the national recession,” he said.
Bloomberg addressed the issue of immigration reform in light of the Statue of Liberty re-opening to the public on Independence Day, following repairs from damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
“Not only is Lady Liberty a monument to American Independence, but Independence Day is also a time for celebrating our heritage as a place that honors dreams, rewards hard work, and promotes freedom for all,” Bloomberg said, noting that the Statue of Liberty symbolizes those ideals.
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Bloomberg said New York is a global destination for people willing to work hard and find a better life, and in light of this, he said he has and will continue to support efforts to fix what he called a “broken immigration system.”
“Our country needs more immigrants, and we need to make sure those who are here have the opportunity to stay here and help us grow our economy,” Bloomberg said.
His speech was in reference to the immigration reform bill, which was recently passed in the Senate and is moving to the House of Representatives. It passed 68-32 in the Democrat-controlled Senate, yet is expected to have strong opposition in the Republican-led House.
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