The City Council of New York City has abandoned a plan to automatically enroll residents in city benefits due to concerns over immigrant privacy. On Thursday, the council passed a revised bill that directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) to study the feasibility of automatic enrollment in city-administered benefit programs while addressing privacy issues. The original proposal, known as Intro. 248, would have utilized tax records and government data to identify eligible New Yorkers for benefits without requiring an application, which raised fears about potential repercussions for immigrants seeking green cards.
Speaker Julie Menin noted the logistical challenges in passing such legislation and emphasized the need to protect individuals' private information. Concerns about the Trump administration's immigration policies, particularly the expanded public charge rule, influenced the decision to revise the bill. This rule allows immigration officials to consider the use of public benefits when evaluating green card and visa applications, raising fears among council members about immigrant participation in public programs.
The revised bill mandates DSS to investigate the costs and privacy challenges associated with automatic enrollment and to report its findings within 18 months. It also aims to improve access to the Fair Fares program, which provides half-price transit for low-income residents, by streamlining the sign-up process using existing data from food stamp and cash assistance applications. Currently, only about 40% of the approximately 960,000 eligible New Yorkers are enrolled in the Fair Fares program, according to the New York City Independent Budget Office.
The updated bill will be sent to Mayor Zohran Mamdani for approval. Mamdani has proposed making city buses free, a plan that has faced opposition from the MTA due to its estimated cost of over $1 billion. Additionally, the council secured an expansion of the Fair Fares program in the fiscal 2027 budget, adding $54 million to the existing $120.6 million allocation, which will raise the income eligibility cap for the program.