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New York City has just implemented measures to make it easier for undocumented migrants to obtain a residency identification card, a document that makes it easier for them to obtain housing and free medical care
This comes after the City Council approved on Monday, March 3, an initiative proposed by Mayor Eric Adams that includes 23 additional types of identification that immigrants can provide to obtain a city residency card
Among the new documents that are valid for applying for a New York City identification card (IDNYC) for immigrants are an expired driver's license; documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Federal Bureau of Prisons; and about 100 other forms of identification.
This measure comes from the istration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015 and serves to help immigrants access free health care, enroll in school, open bank s, among other services, for city residents over the age of 10, regardless of their immigration status, although it is checked whether they have a criminal record.
To date, the city government reported that almost 1.7 million people have acquired the ID card since its implementation, while in 2024 alone 132,054 ID cards were issued, compared to 127,859 in 2023
Republicans question NYC's decision to help immigrants
However, the measure does not appeal to the country's anti-immigrant sectors. For example, Republican Representative for New York, Nicole Malliotakis, told The Post that the measure is a "terrible idea".
"Providing legitimate government identification to people who are in the country illegally and then giving them access to government buildings and services is just another incentive [to come here]", he said. "Most concerning is that there is no verification, no process to ensure that the documents provided to prove identity are not fake and, to top it off, they destroy these documents that could be useful in an investigation".
For his part, Mayor Eric Adams highlighted in an article for Harlem World magazine his istration's work on immigration.
"The city of New York is a city built by immigrants, and we are not only stronger because of our diversity: we are the best city in the world because of it," he said. He also said that from 2022, the city faced an "unprecedented influx of asylum seekers" and his istration faced this challenge
"Thanks to our efforts, more than 189,100 of the 232,600 migrants - or 81% - who have sought city services over the past three years have taken the next step on their journey to self-sufficiency," Adams said
He later mentioned that his istration catered to asylum seekers pursuing the American dream and 84% of adults received or applied for work authorization. He also indicated that the city purchased more than 53,000 tickets to help asylum seekers reach their "preferred destinations," reducing the long-term costs of keeping them in the city for taxpayers.