NYC ending controversial migrant debit card program
New York City has announced that it will end its pilot program that gave prepaid debit cards to migrant families.
“Through the immediate response cards pilot program, we were able to reduce food waste, redirect millions of dollars to our local economy, and provide more culturally relevant food to more than 2,600 migrant families in our care. As we move towards more competitive contracting for asylum seeker programs, we have chosen not to renew the emergency contract for this pilot program once the one-year term concludes,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
The program would provide migrant families up to $350 a week and began with 500 migrant families with children. New York City had said that program would save the city $600,000 a month, and $7.2M annually.
In July, the program had been expanded to include 7,300 families.
Critics argued that the program was vulnerable to misuse and unfairly prioritized migrants over other New Yorkers in need.
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