New York City is launching a $53 million program, providing pre-paid debit cards for illegal immigrants.

By Tom Ozimek 2/3/2024 Updated:

Illegal Immigrants in New York to Get Pre-Paid Debit Cards in $53 Million Program

New York City is launching a $53 million program, providing pre-paid debit cards for illegal immigrants.

2/4/2024Print

Illegal immigrants in the Big Apple will soon start receiving pre-paid debit cards that they must pledge to use only to buy food, according to New York City records and media reports.

Records indicate that New York City has awarded a $53 million contract to a company called Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), which will create and distribute the pre-paid cards, called immediate response cards.

Under the program, MoCaFi will begin delivering the cards to the Roosevelt Hotel, the first touchpoint for illegal immigrants arriving in the city, and will hand out them out “directly to asylum seekers receiving financial assistance.”

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The first to receive the cards will be families with children under the care of NYC’s Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) agency.

“MoCaFi looks forward to partnering with New York City to disburse funds for asylum seekers to purchase fresh, hot food,” MoCaFi CEO and founder Wole Coaxum said in a statement to the New York Post.

“MoCaFi’s goal is to expand access to financial resources for individuals excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, while helping the local economy.”