New York City has begun doling out prepaid debit cards for illegal migrants as part of a program to feed the massive influx of foreigners coming into the Big Apple.
Mayor Eric Adams’ office said that the first batch of debit cards, which are apparently intended to be used by illegal immigrants to buy food and infant necessities, were distributed to a handful of migrant families in the city on Monday.
Despite public uproar, the endeavor is part of a $53 million pilot program to provide prepaid credit cards to migrant families staying in hotels.
The initiative, which the mayor’s office said would pay up to $350 per week to migrant families of four with two children under five until the end of their stay, started on Monday with a small number of families and will grow to around 115 families, or about 460 individuals, over the following week.
“I am a Democrat, but I don’t agree with the sanctuary city policies,” a Democratic city council member said. “It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. This is insane. It’s not good policy. Obviously, a sanctuary city should not mean protecting criminals.”
Fox News reported that the illegal aliens will now make more in benefits than most poor Americans, including U.S. veterans. The illegals must also promise to only spend the money on food and baby supplies and will receive up to $1,400 per month.
“New York City says to start, 500 migrants are going to receive these prepaid cards that can only be used at bodegas and grocery stores for food and baby supplies,” Brian Llenas reported. “But if it expands to all migrants, it’ll cost the city $53 million. To put that number in perspective, that is more than double what the New York State is budgeting to spend in 2025 for its Department of Veteran Services, or its Office of National and Community Service, or its Division of Human Rights.”
“And it’s more than double what New York State plans to spend on its state cancer services program,” he added. “New York City says each migrant will get approximately $12.52 per day to purchase food and baby supplies. But that’s about 40% more than what the average low income American got per day in government food stamps or snap benefits in 2022 at $7.59 per person per day.”
“Now the city argues the prepaid debit cards will save it $7 million in costs for feeding these migrants,” the reporter went on. “Overall, New York City and the state will spend 15 billion through 2025 on the migrant crisis providing a laundry list of services, including shelter, legal health, English classes, mental health, public education, and healthcare. And look, currently healthcare is free for migrants in the city. It’s the most costly expense accounting for about half of the 4.7 billion (dollars) that the city spent on the migrant crisis this past year. Experts warned the cost of services for illegal migrants from New York to California are simply unsustainable.”
The New York Times reported on Saturday that the city has converted “about 100 hotels and other facilities, from iconic skyscrapers to humble airport motels” into “temporary housing for some of the 50,000 migrants who have arrived on buses from the southern border since last spring.” In May 2023, the Associated Press reported that Mayor Adams was using the historic Roosevelt Hotel to provide as many as 1,000 rooms for unauthorized immigrants.
According to the immigration reform group FAIR, at least 16.8 million illegal aliens reside in the United States. It is estimated that seven to ten million illegal migrants have attempted to enter the United States under the Biden administration.
Follow Kyle Becker on X @kylenabecker. You can also read his work at thekylebecker.com.
