New York City has announced that it will end its pilot program that provided prepaid debit cards to migrant families.
“Through the immediate response cards pilot program, we were able to reduce food waste, redirect millions of dollars to our local economy, and provide more culturally relevant food to more than 2,600 migrant families in our care. As we move towards more competitive contracting for asylum seeker programs, we have chosen not to renew the emergency contract for this pilot program once the one-year term concludes,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
The initiative would provide up to $350 per week to migrant families with children, starting with 500 households. New York City had stated that the initiative will save the city $600,000 per month and $7.2 million yearly.
The program expanded to include 7,300 households in July.
Critics said that the scheme was prone to abuse and unfairly favored migrants over other New Yorkers in need.
