In a historic development, New York City has seen a surge in the number of migrants applying for IDNYC cards, a crucial step towards becoming official residents.
The IDNYC cards, which are accessible to all regardless of immigration status, serve as personal identification and provide migrants with access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
Data obtained by the New York Post reveals a nearly 50% increase in the issuance of these cards over the past year. From January 1 to December 15, 2022, a total of 82,085 cards were issued. In the same period in 2023, the figure rose to 112,238.
Dennis Walcott, President and CEO of Queens Library, informed the outlet that applicants hail from diverse regions worldwide, including Africa and Latin America. The library serves as a distribution center for the cards, a program initiated in 2015 by former Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Walcott described the scene, saying, "There've been lines wrapped around the building I've seen people starting getting here at 3 a.m. It's an important step in life having an ID card. We want people to get access to various services."
Elizabeth de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for Queens Library, confirmed the sharp rise in applicants seeking IDNYC cards between this year and the last.
According to City Hall spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak, one of Mayor Adams's administration's priorities is to ensure that illegal immigrants gain access to IDNYC cards.
Mamelak stated, "As a result of our efforts to strengthen and expand accessibility to IDNYC for all New Yorkers, we saw a nearly 50 percent increase in new IDNYC enrollments in 2023, when compared with 2022. This comes on the heels of the city expanding the list of eligible documentation for IDNYC to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including asylum seekers."
She further explained that the strategic plan to issue identification cards to migrants was a collaborative effort involving elected officials, community-based organizations, and other city agencies. The IDNYC Mobile Command Center was deployed, and the number of informational events has been increased.
The Queens Library's bilingual staff assists asylum-seekers with their IDNYC applications and other needs, including housing inquiries, clothing procurement, school support, food pantries, and employment assistance, which includes resume support.
De Bourbon also noted a 35% increase in enrollment for English as a Second Language at the library this past year, compared to the year prior.
She said, "Through their interactions with the asylum seekers, our staff has found out that most of the people are from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Haiti. They also are seeing people from Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Bangladesh, India and China. We also have encountered a handful of Russian speakers, potentially from Ukraine."
This surge in migrants comes in the wake of Border Patrol data revealing historic numbers of illegal crossings under the Biden administration due to the president's open border policies. New York City has been significantly impacted due to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott transporting illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities via buses. In response, Mayor Adams has declared a state of emergency and has requested for the city's sanctuary status to be revoked.
The US-Southern border has witnessed over 2 million illegal crossings in the past year, with more than 6 million encounters since Joe Biden assumed presidency in 2021.
Apprehensions of individuals on the terrorist watch list have nearly doubled last year's record total. According to CBP data, 172 non-citizens who were on the terrorist watchlist were apprehended at the border, marking an increase from 2022's record year of 98. Prior to 2021, the highest number was six in 2018, and it has skyrocketed since the Biden administration took over.
Total encounters for enforcement officials in FY 2023 were 434,562 higher than in 2022, totaling 3,201,144. Since 2020, the total encounters have continued to increase, with 646,822 total encounters in 2020, 1,956,519 a year later, and 2,766,582 two years later.
Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner, recently warned about a massive caravan of illegal immigrants headed to the United States. He has vowed to prioritize border security if he were to reclaim the White House in 2025.
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