In a rather confusing and contradictory move, New York City has begun distributing prepaid debit cards to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. The program, spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams in partnership with a New Jersey-based company, was launched on Tuesday at the Roosevelt Hotel.
The pilot scheme aims to provide financial support for foreigners who have made their way to the Big Apple. However, given the massive strain the influx of illegals and asylum seekers has placed on the city, it seems the city’s leadership has not considered the possibility that this program will only make the problem worse.
The Adams administration and Mobility Capital Finance have collaborated to provide preloaded Mastercards to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers in the city to streamline aid and supposedly save the city money.
The Adams administration launched its program to give prepaid debit cards to New York City migrants this week — two months after inking a controversial no-bid $53 million contract for the deal.
Staffers with the New Jersey company, Mobility Capital Finance, handed out eight preloaded Mastercards at the Roosevelt Hotel on Monday as part of its pilot program that will expand to 115 cards by next week, according to a City Hall spokesperson
The one-year deal came under fire after The Post first revealed the contract was inked without a typical bidding process.
The program could be a boon for the tech start-up, giving it the potential to net $1.8 million by taking a cut of the funds loaded onto each Mastercard, according to the contract.
The pilot program will be rolled out to about 460 of the 64,500 foreigners under the city’s care while the local government assesses its success. Families with two parents and children under five years old will receive $350 per week for food and other supplies.
However, it appears that Adams’ administration has forgotten that the influx has placed an enormous burden on the city and its residents. This is quite odd, given that he has vocally criticized President Joe Biden for failing to deal with the border crisis. He even complained about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for transporting these individuals to his city, despite being proud of its sanctuary status.
Adams has been complaining about dealing with the flow of illegals and asylum seekers into his city for years. But now, he wants to give them free money, as if that won’t make the problem worse. What will happen when the program is expanded? When those crossing the border hear about the free giveaways, they will jump on the first bus headed to the Empire State, placing even more of a strain on the city’s residents.
The program comes amid growing concerns over how cities like New York City can accommodate an increasing number of people entering their cities from south of the border. However, the fact that the mayor and his team don’t seem to have looked at what will happen when more people show up seeking free cash is mind-boggling, to say the least. Either Adams is woefully inept at his job, or his constant laments about the border crisis are a performance worthy of an Academy Award. Either way, if this program is any indication, New York City is about to get a lot more crowded – assuming more residents don’t pack up and move to other states.
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