The city of New York has initiated a program to offer prepaid debit cards to 7,300 migrant families accompanied by children, residing in city-operated shelters. In March, the program was launched with the distribution of 3,000 prepaid debit cards to migrants, which enabled them to buy essential items such as food and baby products from authorized grocery stores and bodegas.
In a recent announcement, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City revealed that the city has partnered with Mobility Capital Finance to launch a program. The program’s initial pilot phase has cost the city a total of $53 million.
Asylum-seeking families staying at hotels in New York City, which have now been converted into migrant shelters, will now receive debit cards instead of boxed food as part of their meal program. This change is estimated to save taxpayers $4.5 million this year, according to officials.
It is still uncertain how much each family will receive in the upcoming stimulus package. As per The New York Times, a family of four with children who are migrants can expect to receive approximately $350 weekly, subject to their other sources of income.
According to the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services of the city, the pilot debit card program has proven to be a success. The program empowers asylum seekers to make decisions for themselves and their children, which is a significant advantage.
New York City Councilman Joseph Borelli, a Republican, has criticized the city-funded cards as being unfair to low-income New Yorkers who do not have access to similar benefits.
Borelli expressed his concern by stating, “New York City taxpayers are bearing the cost of providing additional freebies to the migrant population.”
In the past year, more than 180,000 migrants have sought asylum in New York City. According to some Republicans, offering additional assistance to these individuals may act as a magnet for even more undocumented immigrants. The city has already invested over a billion dollars in addressing this crisis.
