New York City is winding down a controversial program that offers pre-paid debit cards to migrant families to use for purchasing food, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday.
The city said that it was ending the program, which began as a pilot in February, citing a steady decrease in the number of migrants living in city-run shelters. The program initially served 500 migrant families living in hotel shelters but was scaled up to 2,600 families over the summer, according to City Hall. The initiative has been subject to heavy criticism with its detractors arguing that it prioritizes migrants over native New Yorkers in need.
