A new program set to assist migrants within New York City has been hit with waves of misinformation online. Claims of New York City handing out $53 million in credit cards to migrants have only escalated the tension between them and the city’s residents.
In actuality, the $53 million program, called the Immediate Response Card initiative, is one of New York City’s many strategies to assist migrants bussed into the city in collaboration with Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi). According to AP News, migrants will be given prepaid debit cards strictly for essential purchases like food and baby supplies at local retailers like bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. This program is said to replace an already existing food service for asylum seekers.
In a statement, MoCaFi CEO Wole Coaxum summarized the goal of the program, which is to “expand access to financial resources for individuals excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, while helping the local economy.”
“It is an honor to be a part of the effort to welcome and support asylum seekers as they begin to plant their roots in this country,” Coaxum continued.
A spokesperson for the mayor Eric Adams, Kayla Mamelak, gave more insight into the program to AP News. The program will start with an initial 500 migrant families that will reside in temporary housing, such as the Roosevelt Hotel. These families will be given debit cards charged with an average daily balance of $12.52, though the amount fluctuates depending on the size of a family.
Mamelak also noted that participants are required to sign an affidavit that will require migrants to use the cards for their intended purposes or face removal from the program.
This program has the potential to save the city an annual amount of $7.2 million. Additionally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his hope that this program would “stimulate the local economy” in a Monday press conference.
