(TheProudRepublic.com) – Relentlessly seeking answers to what Sanctuary Cities are doing regarding the ongoing immigration issue, a group of House Republicans sent a letter urging New York City to stop its $53 million debit card program for illegal aliens.
In the letter, Representative Lance Gooden (R., Texas) and seven colleagues asked Mayor Eric Adams about the Immediate Response Card program, which included whether federal funds are being used and claimed it encourages migrants to come to the city after crossing the border illegally.
“Your office has claimed the program . . . will save New York City around $7.2 million per year by reducing food waste. In reality, these ‘savings’ are worthless when compared to costs created by the incentives your city continues to reinforce,” the letter reads.
Gooden referred to the initiative as a “free handout,” saying it provides illegal immigrant families up to $350 per week on a pre-paid debit card for food and baby supplies.
The participants must pledge to spend money on those items only, but Gooden says the eligible purchase locations are unspecified.
The letter stated, “Distributing untraceable cash on transferable debit cards will only result in an increase in the number of immigrants residing in NYC.”
The congressman reminded the mayor of his own warning from September that the city would be “destroyed” by the illegal immigrant crisis.
Furthermore, the $53 million program, which began mid-March 25, cost more than double the budgets for New York City’s Department of Veterans Affairs and Office of National and Community Services in 2025.
The letter posed several questions, which included whether New York City, Mobility Capital Finance, and contracted hotels work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for identification.
Representatives Ralph Norman (R., S.C.), Barry Moore (R., Ala.), Jeff Duncan (R., S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (R., Colo.), among others, joined Gooden in expressing their concerns to Adams.
“By funneling millions to those who have blatantly disregarded our nation’s laws, Mayor Adams’ program not only undermines our immigration system but insults every American citizen, especially our veterans and those in need,” Gooden continued.
“These actions erode the sanctity of American citizenship and incentivize illegal immigration, further exacerbating the crisis at our borders,” he added.
Gooden concluded, “In a time when Americans face skyrocketing living costs and migrant crime is surging, it is unconscionable that a major American city would prioritize illegal immigrants over the safety and financial security of its own citizens.”
Copyright 2024, TheProudRepublic.com
