Families of migrants residing in New York City are currently receiving prepaid debit cards, according to officials.
The first set of debit cards were distributed on Monday, according to the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Families who are migrating are supposed to utilize these cards to purchase necessities like food and infant supplies.
Debit Cards for Migrant Families
Notwithstanding criticism from the public, a $53 million trial program to provide prepaid credit cards to immigrant families lodging in hotels has reportedly been initiated.
To assist migrant families, the mayor’s office has started a new program. Families consisting of two children under five years old will receive financial aid from the program, up to $350 per week until the conclusion of the stay.
The initiative began on Monday with a limited number of families. It will, however, assist about 460 people overall and is expected to grow over the course of the following week to encompass about 115 families.
The only establishments that accept the prepaid cards are bodegas, supermarkets, convenience stores, and grocery stores. Those who qualify for the program, according to Adams’ office, must sign an affidavit stating that they will only use the money to buy food and baby items. You could lose access to the cash if you don’t follow this requirement.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed by the New York City mayor’s office that the pilot program was executed gradually, with an initial concentration on a limited number of hotels. City authorities said that the cards will have money placed on them for a week at a time, and that their use would be constantly watched.
The city’s welcome center, the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, is reportedly where the cards are being given out. Families of migrants are receiving these cards as they are being housed in hotels that have been transformed into makeshift shelters.
A collaboration has been established between the city and New Jersey-based Mobility Capital Finance to manage the initiative.
Over the course of a six-week pilot experiment, migrants may qualify for more financial aid from the city than from the state, which offers SNAP benefits to low-income and elderly New Yorkers.
The maximum monthly SNAP payout for single people is $291, according to the state’s official website. These benefits are intended to help senior persons, low-income working adults, people with disabilities, and others buy necessities like food.
The migrant pilot program offers more than twice as many monthly services as the state does to unmarried veterans, according to a report by Bryan Llenas of Fox News.
The program has been vigorously supported by Democratic New York City Mayor Adams, who has also denounced the dissemination of “misinformation” about it.
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New York City Plans $10.6 Billion for Immigration Assistance by 2025
In February, the mayor gave an explanation at the yearly “Tin Cup Day” meeting, where state legislators hear mayors’ budget requests.
By the summer of 2025, the government of New York City anticipates needing to spend at least $10.6 billion on immigration assistance. In order to address the migrant situation, New York state has allocated almost $2 billion in the current budget cycle.
Adams did tell lawmakers, though, that the state’s promise would cover only one-third of the city’s migrant-related costs.
Democratic Governor of New York Kathy Hochul has suggested funding migrant services with $2.4 billion in the next budget cycle.
The state legislature is still figuring out the precise parameters of this distribution, though. The New York Daily News reports that Adams’ office has indicated that Hochul’s planned allocation is insufficient by $600 million to meet the city’s demands for the upcoming budget cycle.
New York City has seen an incredible influx of migrants in recent years—roughly 180,000 people. The city’s resources are being severely strained by this migration, and officials are finding it difficult to locate enough accommodation for everyone.
In an effort to facilitate their transfer to sanctuary counties, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has transported asylum applicants to a number of places, including New York. This action also helps to highlight the continuous crisis that border communities regularly face.
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