NYC To Hand Out Pre-Paid Credit Cards To Migrants
New York City officials announced this week that the Big Apple would be distributing more than $50 million in pre-paid credit cards to migrants. The move came even as police search for men who attacked New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square last week.
The city is working with Mobility Capital Finance of New Jersey to allow some migrants to receive the pre-paid cards.
The program will begin with 500 migrants currently staying at the city’s Roosevelt Hotel.
Currently, the city is offering food for the migrants and will switch to the card system. The city says that the cards can only be used at local grocery and convenience stores and asked the migrants to promise only to use them on certain items.
New York’s Immediate Response Card is similar in function to existing food stamp cards, eligible for citizens.
Mobility Capital Finance’s CDEO Wole Coaxum said that their goal was to “expand access to financial resources for individuals excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, while helping the local economy.”
New York is considering expanding the program to 15,000 migrants, with the mayor’s office saying that the program would allow families to receive “fresh food for their culturally relevant diets and the baby supplies of their choosing.”
The office also argued that the program would save the city money compared to their current food distribution.
The cards can be used for any purpose, but the city is asking the migrants to use them only for food and baby supplies. The total distribution is considerable, with a family of four expected to receive up to $1,000 per month.
NEW: New York City is gearing up to launch a $53 million program where illegal immigrants will receive pre-paid credit cards.
Meanwhile Mayor Eric Adams is wondering why migrants keep coming to New York City.
The program makes illegals promise that they will only use the card… pic.twitter.com/KwZutC344K
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 2, 2024
New York City is facing one of its worst budget crises since it almost declared bankruptcy in the 1970s. The city has spent more than $1 billion on migrants since 2022 and that number is expected to more than quadruple in coming years.
The city has already enacted across-the-board cuts to every city agency. This includes lowering the number of NYPD officers expected to join the force despite a significantly higher crime rate than in 2019.
