New York City leaders from both parties slammed a move by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to distribute thousands more prepaid debit cards to immigrant families.
Adams’ office argued the program would save the city up to $7.2 million a year when it launched in February, but some City Council members decried the new allocation of 7,300 cards as a sign that more people will be crossing the border.
“The easy treatment of immigrants must end,” said Assemblyman Robert Holden, a Democrat from Glendale, Queens.
“Providing them with free housing, food and legal assistance while shielding them from federal authorities is unsustainable and will only worsen the crisis. This madness must end now.”
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City Councilman Robert Holden speaks at Veterans Day breakfast. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty)
Holden is home to 70 migrant shelters, the most in the city, according to a New York Post analysis published Sunday.
One zip code in the city, 10036 in Midtown Manhattan (home to Fox News headquarters), has eight shelters within a densely packed two-fifths of a square mile.
A representative for Rep. Gayle Brewer, a Democrat who represents the district, declined to comment.
Joe Borelli of Staten Island, the city council’s top Republican, said sanctuary city advocates may finally be starting to realize the consequences of their actions.
“I think Democrats are learning the hard way that American cities cannot become the refugee camps of the world,” Borelli said.
“New York’s immigration crisis is entering its third year and the argument on these cards is that this is the ‘less than worst’ way to go about things,” added the House Minority Leader, who faces a 45-6 Democratic City Council majority.
City Council President Adrienne Adams could not be reached for comment.
But Assemblywoman Julie Wong, a Democrat from Long Island City, Queens, praised the program, saying the prepaid cards give immigrants “the sovereignty and freedom to choose what they want to eat” and allow them to avoid “spoiled” food provided by city contractors.
She noted that Long Island City alone has 23 shelters and said all of the estimated 60,000 migrants under the city’s jurisdiction should have access to such assistance.
Wong said New York City spent $463 million on food procurement last year, noting public exposure of high rates of food waste. He said the debit card program costs less than 1% of the cost of doing business with food contractors and provides better service.
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According to the Queens News, Wong had previously hosted “welcome dinners” for small groups of immigrants in his district to help them integrate into the community and access basic services. Outlet QNS.
Several other Democrats, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who lives in Brooklyn, did not respond to requests for comment.
But Deputy Mayor Ann Williams-Isom defended the administration’s decision and called on the federal government to “finish the job they started” and process more asylum claims to allow migrants to work.
“As we continue to do our part to respond to this global humanitarian crisis, we are exploring new ways to support New Yorkers in ways that save taxpayer money, invest in our local economy and serve families with children,” Williams-Isom said.
“It can be shopping local, supporting small businesses, or taking control of your own resources. When we empower people, we help them become self-reliant and achieve the American dream.”
Additionally, one resident of the country’s largest housing project questioned why shelters are being built in underserved areas.
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“Why send it here? Send it to Fifth Avenue. [or] Park Avenue…” said Sean Shields of Queensbridge House. New York Post on sunday.
In response to criticism of the program, a city spokesman said the debit card program only covers a small percentage of immigrants.
The spokesperson also cited New York City’s Right to Housing policy, which requires the city to find and provide housing for homeless people, and noted that immigrants are still not allowed to receive federal SNAP food stamp benefits to help them make ends meet.
The spokesman also cited recent calculations that put the cost of food per immigrant at a conservative $4 a day, an amount that the analysis suggested would not amount to much in New York City.
Meanwhile, a representative for MoCaFi, the New Jersey contractor the city hired to administer the cards, told Fox News Digital when asked about recent reports about the program: Response to criticism.
The representative added that MoCaFi’s day-to-day focus is serving the 50 million Americans who don’t have a bank account or are “underbanked.”
