Political | Process

New York City, under the direction of Mayor Eric Adams, is set to begin a $53 million program that will give illegal immigrant families.

Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), a New Jersey company that has prior business with the city, will run the program initially handing out the “Immediate Response Cards” to families with children arriving at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, the city’s central hub for migrants, according to details published in the City Record.

Use of the cards will only be permitted at bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores with participating families required to sign an affidavit swearing to using the cards for food and baby supplies or risk being booted from the program, according to the Post, which compared it to the state’s food stamp program known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The size of the participating family and whether they’re receiving income will impact the amount on each card to be refilled every 28 days, according to the details of the contract reported by the Post.

“Not only will this provide families with the ability to purchase fresh food for their culturally relevant diets and the baby supplies of their choosing, but the pilot program is expected to save New York City more than $600,000 per month, or more than $7.2 million annually,” Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said.

According to City Hall, the savings are comparatively based on the current $11 per meal the city is currently spending. The Post reported that a family of four could be provided nearly $1,000 each month, which comes out to $35 per day for food.

Food waste has also been a major problem at migrant shelter city with the new arrivals coming from countries around the globe wanting culturally-familiar food.

More than 170,000 migrants have made their way to the five boroughs since spring 2022 and the tens of thousands in the city’s care have raised concerns about the financial impact on the city’s coffers.

“MoCaFi looks forward to partnering with New York City to disburse funds for asylum seekers to purchase fresh, hot food,” said MoCaFi CEO and Founder, Wole Coaxum. “MoCaFi’s goal is to expand access to financial resources for individuals excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, while helping the local economy. It is an honor to be a part of the effort to welcome and support asylum seekers as they begin to plant their roots in this country.”