New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ new program to give prepaid debit cards to immigrants in the city is bringing more people to the city, despite the mayor’s claims that the city is full. New York City Council members argued that there was a risk of encouraging people to settle in the country.
“Regardless of our rhetoric about how ‘full’ the city is, if you’re giving away free money, that’s a clear incentive,” City Councilwoman Vicki Palladino told Fox News Digital. ” he said. “We hear that from many immigrants themselves. They come here because they know New York will give them welfare. It’s that simple. This is the exact opposite message that needs to be sent now.”
Palladino’s comments came after Adams announced Tuesday a new $53 million plan that would give immigrants in the city prepaid debit cards for items like food and baby supplies.
New York City begins issuing prepaid debit cards to undocumented immigrants as part of $53 million pilot program
new york mayor eric adams (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The New York Post reports that a family with two parents and a child under 5 will receive $350 a week with a debit card, which will be topped up weekly.
The city will first run a pilot version of the program, distributing the cards to about 460 of the more than 64,000 immigrants in the city’s custody, according to the report.
According to a Bloomberg report, the plan comes despite Adams himself acknowledging that the city could not take in any more immigrants. The act was carried out despite the fact that the government had insisted that there was no room for it to be accepted.
But the new program contradicts that claim, Palladino argued, noting that even immigrants already in the city would face negative consequences if the influx continues.
Adams defends prepaid immigration cards, part of $53 million New York City pilot program: ‘Don’t give people American Express’
Palladino also pointed to the increase in crime that city residents are seeing as immigrants flood into the city, declaring that the city’s voters are “tired of the invasion.”
“In neighborhoods like mine, which span from low-income, working-class neighborhoods to some of New York City’s most affluent communities, immigrant crime is a top concern for everyone,” Palladino said. Ta. “Scooter robbers are snatching wallets in front of delis, breaking into high-end homes, we’re seeing a huge increase in crime by immigrants. It’s becoming completely Third World.”
Nevertheless, Adams has defended the plan, and a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the administration plans to protect “the hundreds of individuals and families who arrive each day, as well as the long-time New York City residents.” “We are committed to finding new ways to better serve people.” A York resident experiencing homelessness who is already in our care. ”
Adams also touted the program as a potential “cost-saving measure,” claiming that under the new system, food costs for immigrants in the city would be about $600,000 a month.
Asylum seekers line up outside the historic Roosevelt Hotel, which has been converted into a city-run shelter for newly arrived immigrant families in New York City. (Selcuk Achar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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City Councilman Joseph Borelli told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t doubt the program will be cheaper for the city, but that debit cards remain a “fundamental problem” for the city’s working poor, who don’t have similar benefits. He argued that it was unfair.
“New Yorkers see immigrants getting free debit cards and at the same time we’re all being charged $15 to get into Manhattan,” Borelli said, referring to the borough’s new congestion pricing. I’m frustrated,” he said.
Like Borrelli, Palladino acknowledged the plan’s cost savings, but expressed similar opinions about the fairness of providing free services to undocumented immigrants.
“The assumption is that we have a duty to provide welfare to illegal aliens in the first place, and we don’t,” Palladino said. “We all know they were throwing away the food being provided in the shelters. Okay, so what? This really gives the lie to the ‘desperate refugee’ narrative. – Starving and desperate people don’t throw away food. Obviously, they’re like, “How do we eat and support ourselves without free food for months? And then all of a sudden we have to spend millions of taxpayers’ money feeding them?”
Migrants wait in long lines overnight to be admitted to a city shelter in New York City’s East Village neighborhood on December 6, 2023. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Instead, Palladino argued in favor of deporting immigrants, arguing that debit cards can have many unintended consequences.
“Frankly, the entire program is a mess, from the completely inexperienced nonprofits issuing and distributing debit cards, to the complete lack of transparency in its implementation, to the lack of accountability to users.” said Palladino. “This is free money that’s untraceable being given away to people who don’t belong here in the first place. That’s crazy. It’s going to create a black market and all sorts of negative incentive structures.”
Adams’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
