Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on Univision's "Subete Al 41"

February 9, 2024

Ana Patricia Candiani: Y estamos aquí en Brooklyn, el condado más poblado de la ciudad de en Nueva York. Este es el Parque Maria Hernandez, nombrado así desde 1994, en honor a la activista contra la violencia y la venta de drogas. Hernandez fue baleada a través de su ventana en el año 1989. Hoy abordamos los problemas más prevalentes en el condado de Brooklyn, y nos acompaña precisamente para hablar sobre estos, el alcalde de Nueva York, Eric Adams. Así que le vamos a dar la bienvenida: alcalde, Súbete al 41. Mayor Adams, hop on. Hop on. Welcome to ‘Súbete al 41,’ muchísimas gracias. Déjenme decirle a ustedes que, antes de llegar a su puesto, el alcalde Eric Adams fue presidente de este condado, así que está más que familiarizado con los temas que afectan a sus residentes. 

Mayor, allow me to give some information to our audience.

Mayor Eric Adams: Yes.

Candiani: Les quiero comentar que según el censo en el año 2020, aquí vivían en Brooklyn más de dos millones setecientas mil personas, casi diecinueve por ciento de personas de origen en hispano. Y aquí en Bushwick, donde estamos, más de la mitad de la población es hispana. La vivienda asequible, sin duda, y el costo de la vida son sus mayores preocupaciones. Así que la pregunta para el alcalde es qué programas o servicios ofrece la ciudad para proteger a esas comunidades de la gentrificación. 

Mayor, 2020 census data shows that more than 2.7 million New Yorkers call Brooklyn home. 90 percent are Hispanics, and here in Bushwick, more than half of the population is Hispanic. Affordable housing and cost of living are major concerns. What programs or services does the city offer to protect these communities from gentrification?

Mayor Adams: That is so important, because long‑time New Yorkers, you know, particularly from the Hispanic community, should feel as though the borough and the city is inviting to them.

Now the question becomes, how do you ensure that?  There are two levels. Number one is on the state level, which we are speaking with state lawmakers now because we have to build more. We have an inventory problem. There's not enough units.

And second is on the city level. We want to rezone so that every part of the city can build higher and build more. We want to convert office space into housing.  We want to build low‑income and middle‑income housing at the same time. And so the combination of the city and state and protecting those who are in housing so they're not displaced in communities like this.

This community has changed dramatically. This was a predominantly Hispanic community for so many years, they’re getting iced out and we have to make sure they can still remain here.

Candiani: And they need affordable housing.

Mayor Adams: Yes, which is very important.

Candiani: Alcalde, tenemos que hablar también de una cosa muy importante y es la violencia, que involucra a los solicitantes de asilo. Primero con el ataque a los agentes del NYPD en Times Square y ayer, con un robo en el que una turista término herida de bala. ¿Qué es lo que usted puede hacer para frenarlos? La comunidad está realmente conmocionada. Está molesta.

Mr. Mayor, we need to talk about violence that involve asylum seekers. First, the attack of two NYPD agents in Times Square, and yesterday, a robbery where a tourist was shot by one of the suspects. What are you doing to stop this situation, because the community is shocked and upset.

Mayor Adams: And they should be, and I'm shocked and upset. And the community must understand that the federal government does not allow me to deport those who are violent. The federal government does not allow me to let people work, which many of the migrants and asylum seekers are doing.

The city government does not allow me to turn over dangerous people to ICE. I can't stop the buses from coming in. So, what they're doing to New Yorkers is unfair. What the Police Department is doing, we are arresting the people who are responsible.

It's up to the prosecutors to prosecute, it's up to the federal government to deport those who are career criminals. And we need to be clear, the overwhelming number of migrants and asylum seekers are doing the same thing that all of us have done as immigrants, we want them to be part of the American dream.

But when you deny people to work, when you create these environments where people can't take that next step. We have over 170,000 that are in our city that we've been… We have been able to help over 100,000 take the next step of independence.

We need the federal government to step up and do its job, control the borders, do a decompression strategy and fund this so it's not on our city.

Candiani: We are here in Maria Hernandez Park in… She died because of violence, unfortunately. Everything has changed since then. But we want to know what initiatives do you have for continuing to improve public safety here in Brooklyn.

Mayor Adams: And Maria Hernandez is really an example of so many people during the days of the crack epidemic, gun violence. Her and her husband knew that we can create an environment where our children were safe. And her, this should be a symbol of what we can do, what can one person do.

We believe there's a number of things that we must do.  We've removed over 13,000 guns off our street from the time that I was elected mayor, over 6,000 last year, 2023. We need to hold those who are career criminals and repeated offenders responsible.

There's only a small number of people who repeatedly commit crimes. We need to make sure that when they are apprehended, that they are incarcerated to the full extent of the law. That is one of the major problems.

Candiani: That's what the community wanted to do.

Mayor Adams: Right.

Candiani: Mayor, thank you so much for being with us.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. It’s good to see you.

Candiani:  Thank you so much.
  
Mayor Adams: You make me feel like the holiday season that we...

Candiani: With my red suit. Thank you so much.

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