New York City announced that it will stop giving migrants prepaid debit cards for food as part of the “immediate response cards pilot program.”
The program, which directed funds towards migrant families in the city’s Housing Preservation and Development system, will not be renewed by Mayor Eric Adams’s office.
Driving the news: An emergency contract was awarded to Mobility Capital Finance in January to launch the program, but the agreement will not be renewed, and it is set to end in January 2025.
- The decision not to renew the contract is part of transitioning towards more competitive contracting for asylum seeker programs.
- The $53 million contract aimed to redirect money to the local economy and provide culturally relevant food to over 2,600 migrant families, with the goal of promoting self-sufficiency.
The big picture: Concerns have been raised over the quality of food that families in the program will receive once the contract expires, with a “migrant advocate” expressing worries about potential setbacks in food quality.
- The New York State Republican Party praised New York City’s decision to end the program, calling it a “step in the right direction” and urging the city and state to stop spending taxpayer money on housing illegal immigrants and to cooperate with the Trump administration on removal policies.
