Why migrant families will no longer be getting prepaid debit cards in NYC

Nov 8

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an end to a program providing prepaid debit cards to migrant families on Thursday, Nov. 7. The Democratic mayor called the program a success, citing reduced food waste and millions of dollars put into the local economy.

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Adams said the reason to end the program was because it was an emergency contract that was only in place for a year, and the migrant population has dropped.

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The city began giving out 3,000 debit cards to roughly 900 migrant families in March of 2024. The cards worth up to $350 per week were designed to be used only for essential items like food and baby supplies.

Straight Arrow News previously reported on the expansion of the program in July to 7,300 migrants.

Critics argued the city-funded cards were unfair to low-income New Yorkers who did not receive similar benefits. Additionally, some Republicans expressed concerns that the debit cards would attract more undocumented immigrants to the city.

With the expansion of the pilot program, the cost was estimated to soar as high as $53 million.

New York City has seen an influx of more than 200,000 migrants since 2022 and has been providing shelter and resources for many of them.

Tags: Eric Adams, Haitian migrants, Immigrant, Immigrant parole program, Migrant buses, Migrant center, Migrant children, Migrant Operations Center, migrant relief centers, migrants, New York, New York City

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ANNOUNCED AN END TO A PROGRAM PROVIDING PREPAID DEBIT CARDS TO MIGRANT FAMILIES THURSDAY.

ADAMS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE DECISION WITH NEW YORK CITY’S W-A-B-C.

[ERIC ADAMS]

WELL, TO BE HONEST IT WAS AN EMERGENCY CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR THAT WAS IN PLACE FOR ONE YEAR AND NOW WE HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A CONSTANT DECREASE IN OUR POPULATION.

THE MAYOR CALLED THE PROGRAM A SUCCESS.

CITING REDUCED FOOD WASTE AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PUT INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

THE CITY BEGAN GIVING OUT THREE-THOUSAND DEBIT CARDS TO ROUGHLY 900 MIGRANT FAMILIES IN MARCH.

THE CARDS WORTH UP TO 350 DOLLARS PER WEEK WERE DESIGNED TO BE USED ONLY FOR ESSENTIAL ITEMS LIKE FOOD AND BABY SUPPLIES.

WE TOLD YOU EARLIER ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM IN JULY TO 73-HUNDRED MIGRANT FAMILIES.

CRITICS ARGUED THE CITY-FUNDED CARDS WERE UNFAIR TO LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS WHO COULDN’T GET SIMILAR BENEFITS.

AND SOME REPUBLICANS EXPRESSED WORRIES THE DEBIT CARDS WOULD ATTRACT MORE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO THE CITY.

WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM THE COST WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AS HIGH AS 53 MILLION DOLLARS.

NEW YORK CITY HAS SEEN AN INFLUX OF MORE THAN 200-THOUSAND MIGRANTS SINCE 2022 AND BEEN PROVIDING SHELTER AND RESOURCES FOR MANY OF THEM.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.