NYC ends taxpayer-funded prepaid debit card program for illegal immigrants

New York City is ending a programme that provided prepaid debit cards to migrant families surviving successful the sanctuary city.

In a connection obtained by FOX 5 New York, Adams announced the extremity of the contiguous effect cards aviator program.

"Through the contiguous effect cards aviator program, we were capable to trim nutrient waste, redirect millions of dollars to our section economy, and supply much culturally applicable nutrient to much than 2,600 migrant families successful our care," Adams said. "As we determination towards much competitory contracting for asylum seeker programs, we person chosen not to renew the exigency declaration for this aviator programme erstwhile the one-year word concludes."

New York City officials began giving retired prepaid debit cards to migrant families residing successful the Big Apple earlier this year. The prepaid cards – the archetypal of which were distributed successful March arsenic portion of the city's Immediate Response Cards (IRC) programme – are meant to beryllium utilized lone to acquisition indispensable items similar food.

The mayor’s bureau antecedently said entree to the programme is constricted to those successful a abstracted programme that provides four-week edifice stays for families with children, and families expecting children.

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Migrants scope for nutrient being handed retired extracurricular the Roosevelt Hotel successful New York City, Aug. 2, 2023.  (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Allowances for amerciable immigrants residing successful the metropolis are distributed connected a play ground until the extremity of their four-week edifice stays, with families of 4 with 2 children nether the property of 5 receiving up to astir $350 each week.

Officials said the programme would prevention the metropolis astir $600,000 per month, and $7.2 cardinal per year.

New York City, which has been overwhelmed by much than 200,000 migrant arrivals since 2022, has been providing colony options to migrants since that time. Last year, it opened a re-ticketing center to connection one-way level tickets to migrants.

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Migrants basal successful beforehand of the Roosevelt Hotel successful New York City, which was converted into a city-run structure successful 2023. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Late past month, Fox News confirmed that 4,500 migrants had been sent backmost to Texas utilizing autobus oregon level tickets purchased by the city, which was archetypal reported by Bloomberg News.

According to Mayor Eric Adams’ office, the apical 5 destinations for migrants leaving the Big Apple are Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York State and Colorado.

In total, they person issued much than 47,000 tickets and astir 4,500 person gone to Texas. It was not wide however galore of those migrants had travel from buses sent to NYC from Texas. 

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began bussing migrants to New York City and different sanctuary cities successful 2022, successful what helium said was an effort to relieve unit connected the overwhelmed borderline communities. 

Abbott said helium chose sanctuary cities – cities that bounds practice with national migration enforcement – due to the fact that helium said they encouraged the crisis.

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris, Adam Shaw and Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.