However, this initiative has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it could potentially encourage more individuals to migrate to the city, despite the Mayor's previous assertions that the city has reached its capacity.
Council Member Vickie Paladino expressed her concerns to Fox News Digital, stating, "Regardless of our rhetoric about how ‘full’ the city has become, if we’re handing out free money it’s a clear incentive.
March 31, 2024
We hear it from many of the migrants themselves — they’re coming here because they know New York will give them welfare. It's as simple as that. And that is absolutely the opposite message we should be sending now."
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Mayor Adams unveiled the $53 million plan on Tuesday, which aims to provide immigrants with prepaid debit cards for purchasing necessities such as food and baby supplies. According to a report by the New York Post, a family comprising two parents and children under five could receive up to $350 per week, with the debit cards being replenished on a weekly basis.
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Initially, the city plans to pilot the program with approximately 460 immigrants out of the over 64,000 currently under the city’s care. This initiative comes despite Mayor Adams' previous statements that the city cannot accommodate any more immigrants. As early as July last year, he claimed that there was "no more room in this city" for continued immigrant settlement, according to a report from Bloomberg.
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Paladino, however, argues that the new program contradicts the Mayor's previous stance. She also highlights the potential negative consequences for immigrants already residing in the city due to the continuous influx. Paladino further draws attention to the rising crime rates in the city, which she attributes to the increasing immigrant population.
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"In districts like mine, which spans both low-income working-class neighborhoods to some of the wealthiest communities in NYC, immigrant crime is a top concern for everyone," Paladino said. "Whether it’s scooter bandits snatching purses in front of a deli or an upscale home getting broken into, we’re seeing a massive increase in crimes attributable to immigrants. It’s becoming absolutely third-world."
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Despite the criticism, Mayor Adams has defended the program. A spokesperson for the Mayor’s office stated that the administration is working to "find new ways to better serve the hundreds of individuals and families arriving every single day, as well as the longtime New Yorkers experiencing homelessness who are already in our care."
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Mayor Adams also presented the program as a potential "cost-saving measure," arguing that the cost of feeding immigrants in the city will be roughly $600,000 a month under the new system.
Council member Joseph Borelli acknowledged the potential cost-saving benefits of the program but argued that the debit cards are still "fundamentally unfair" to the city’s working poor, who don’t receive similar benefits.
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"New Yorkers get frustrated when they see immigrants getting free debit cards at the same time we’re all going to be charged $15 to go into Manhattan," Borelli said, referring to the borough's new congestion pricing toll.
Paladino also acknowledged the cost-saving aspect of the plan but questioned the fairness of offering free services to illegal immigrants.
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"It assumes that we’re somehow obligated to provide illegals with welfare to begin with. We are not," Paladino said. "We all know they were throwing away the food being provided at the shelters. OK, so what? It really puts the lie to the ‘desperate refugees’ narrative — people hungry and desperate don’t throw food away. Clearly, they found a way to eat and fend for themselves for months without our free meals. But suddenly we have to give them millions of taxpayer dollars for food?"
Paladino further argued for the deportation of immigrants, highlighting potential unforeseen consequences that could arise from the debit cards.
"Frankly, the whole program is a mess, from the completely inexperienced nonprofit issuing and distributing the debit cards, to the total lack of transparency in its implementation, to the nonexistent accountability for the users," Paladino said. "This is untraceable free money being handed out to people who don’t belong here in the first place. It’s madness. It’s going to create a black market and all kinds of negative incentive structures."
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