The city has weathered the economic downturn better than most other municipalities because it put out a welcome mat for immigrants, Mayor Bloomberg declared.
“Cities like New York that have been very open to immigrants have done better this last recessions than cities that don’t have immigrants,” the mayor said. “I happen to think that’s one of the real keys to our success.”
Bloomberg’s comments came on the eve of forums he’s joining today to focus attention on the need to reform the nation’s immigration laws.
The first is in Chicago with former White House chief of staff Bill Daley, followed by an event in Boston with News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch. (News Corporation owns The Post.)
Much like his attempt to stir the national debate on gun laws, Bloomberg has been advocating for years for laws that would allow immigrants with skills needed by the US to remain here.
“It’s a national issue and neither of the two [presidential] candidates have spoken out whatsoever,” he said.
When a reporter asked why the mayor wasn’t holding the forums in cities where the candidates were campaigning, he shrugged off that idea as impractical.
“You’d never get close to them,” Bloomberg said. “You’d never get into the airport. You wouldn’t get near ‘em. They close the roads.”
david.seifman@nypost.com