New York Mayor Eric Adams argued that illegal immigrants could be hired to fill lifeguard shortages because they’re “excellent swimmers.”

He made the comment after he was asked Tuesday at a briefing about the city’s lifeguard shortages ahead of Memorial Day weekend and the summer season.

“How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, in our country, that are excellent swimmers and at the same time we need lifeguards — and the only obstacle is that we won’t give them the right to work to become a lifeguard,” the mayor said.

“That just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

He talked about expediting the illegals’ work visas to fill the jobs that have a shortage, including food service workers and nurses.

“If we had a plan that said, ‘If there was a shortage of food service workers and those who fit that criteria, we’re going to expedite you; if you have experience that you are a nurse and we have a nursing shortage, we would expedite you,’” he said.

“It’s the same for lifeguards. So, we have all these eligible people waiting to work, with the skills we need to do the jobs, but we are unable to allow them to work because bureaucracy is in the way,” he added.

The city has been flooded with illegals, some of whom enter the country by swimming across the Rio Grande that flows between Mexico and America.

The U.S. has had a lifeguard shortage since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cities have offered pay bumps and bonuses to entice people to apply and train.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.