New York City Council has recently passed legislation that makes it easier for undocumented immigrants to obtain the already easily obtainable New York City ID card (IDNYC), allowing them to access free benefits. Critics have slammed this move as “legislation aimed at targeting President Trump.”
The bill, introduced by Brooklyn Democratic Socialist Shahana Hanif, calls for the Department of Social Services (DSS) to streamline the application process for the IDNYC identification card. This includes providing on-site application services without appointments at designated service centers in each district, as well as establishing an appeal mechanism for the few who are denied.
The City Council passed the bill on Wednesday with 39 votes in favor and 7 against.
Critics argue that this legislation is not genuinely in the best interest of New Yorkers but rather a deliberate action against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.
“At a time when immigration crime rates are rising and national security is under threat, this behavior is extremely irresponsible—it doesn’t seem like doing the right thing for New Yorkers but rather deliberately opposing Trump,” said Robert Holden, Democratic Party City Council member for Queens.
Minority Leader of the City Council Joann Ariola strongly criticized the policy, believing that this plan is essentially “government-sanctioned fraud,” allowing undocumented immigrants to easily access taxpayer-funded benefits.
Undocumented immigrants and other applicants can use over 120 types of identification documents to obtain the IDNYC, including expired foreign passports, driver’s licenses, and even documents issued by prisons. The New York Post reported that IDNYC applications are almost never rejected, leading to a continuous increase in demand.
According to the Mayor’s Management Report released in January this year, as of June 30, 2024, the city government received a total of 200,000 applications in the fiscal year, of which approximately 91.4% of applicants were successfully issued the New York City ID card.
The IDNYC program was first introduced in 2015 by the then-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration with the aim of helping immigrants easily access free medical services at municipal hospitals, open bank accounts, sign leases, and enroll in schools.
Since its inception, the New York City government has issued over 2.3 million IDNYC cards.