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Disbursements Begin from Fund for Undocumented Immigrants

Immigrants have finally started receiving prepaid debit cards from the $20 million fund meant to help them during the pandemic

Mazin Sidahmed

Jul 10, 2020

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This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Months after the city and the Open Society Foundation announced a $20 million fund for undocumented immigrants affected by the pandemic, immigrants have finally started receiving prepaid debit cards with the disbursements on them. Undocumented immigrants were barred from receiving money in the federal government’s stimulus packages. Thirty community-based organizations were selected by the city to screen applicants and disburse the funds. Documented found that this process was opaque with no clarity on how undocumented immigrants could apply. The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs told WNYC/Gothamist he expects the $20 million to be spent by the end of July, reaching about 20,000 families. WNYC/Gothamist

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Mazin Sidahmed

Mazin Sidahmed is the co-executive director of Documented. He previously worked for the Guardian US in New York. He started his career writing for The Daily Star in Beirut and he also contributed to Politico New York.

@mazsidahmed

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