The humanitarian and economic case for New York’s migrant debit cards

At a Tuesday press conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended a controversial program to give debit cards to some migrants. The city has contracted up to $53 million with a financial services company to provide the cards, allowing families with kids to buy food and other necessities. 

Asked if the debit cards send a “mixed message” to migrants, whom Adams has told not to come to New York, the mayor said, “It sends a mixed message when it’s distorted.” 

Despite the naysayers, Mayor Adams’ new approach to caring for migrants is welcome. His debit card plan is cheaper and likely more effective than existing programs. It will save taxpayers money, cut down on food waste and benefit the local economy. It represents a possible fix for one part of the city’s migrant woes. 

The New York Times reports that 180,000 migrants have entered New York over the last two years, including 65,000 still in shelters. This has resulted in tremendous financial and logistical strains on the city, which must provide them housing and food under its “Right to Shelter” law.

Adams has called the debit card plan “an important new form of saving taxpayers’ dollars” — and he may be right. His plan looks promising because it will reduce the costs of providing meals for migrants.

Under the pilot program for 115 families, migrants with children will receive $350 a week for six weeks. This works out to about $13 per person a day, which can only be spent on groceries and baby supplies.

By comparison, another company already providing meals to New York migrants, charges $33 per person per day.

If the debit card program is expanded, officials say, the city could save $600,000 a month, or as much as $7.2 million a year. That’s because the city will be getting monies directly to migrants, rather than paying for the production and delivery of boxed meals. 

The debit card plan will provide better outcomes for migrants, who have alleged that the city-provided meals have sometimes contained spoiled food,  made kids sick or are inedible due to dietary restrictions. Allowing migrants to buy their own food will ensure they get the food they want and reduce waste. Consider that a great deal of food intended for New York migrants is routinely thrown away, with 5,000 uneaten meals being discarded on a single day last November.  

Giving debit cards to migrants will also help New York City’s economy. When migrants use them at supermarkets, grocery stores or bodegas, money will flow directly to these local businesses.

None of these potential benefits have deterred conservatives from criticizing Adams’ plan. 

On Fox News last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called it “insanity” to distribute debit cards to migrants. This is ironic, given that New York has so many migrants in part because Abbott has been sending them to the city on buses since 2022. 

The New York Post has reported that the city is handing out “credit cards” to migrants, when, in fact, the plan uses debit cards, like those used by the federal government to administer benefits in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Social media has likewise been abuzz with wild claims, many of which have been labeled as false or misleading by sites like Politifact.   

True, the debit card plan has generated outrage among many people who feel like “illegal immigrants” are being rewarded for breaking the law, or that these funds should go to needy U.S. citizens. But this ire should instead be aimed at Congress, which has abdicated responsibility for dealing with immigration, forcing cities to come up with their own ideas. 

New York City is obligated by law to feed and house migrants, so it might as well explore all available options for doing so. For now, this pilot program’s results will be scrutinized and monitored before it is expanded. And to be clear, it’s inaccurate to characterize the people receiving the debit card benefits as “illegals” or “illegal immigrants.” Many are asylum-seekers who are pursuing lawful humanitarian relief.  

At this early stage, Mayor Adams’ debit card plan deserves support, not partisan sniping. It is a good-faith attempt at finding solutions for New York’s ongoing migrant crisis. 

Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and contributor to NBC Latino and CNN Opinion.