NYC to hand out subway fliers to deter migrant children from selling candy

Published Apr 29, 2024 at 4:38 p.m. ET

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New York City will begin distributing fliers to discourage migrant families from allowing their children to sell candy on the streets and subway, targeting one of the most visible symbols of the ongoing migrant influx that have drawn concerns about migrant children’s welfare, according to Mayor Eric Adams’ office.

The city Department of Homeless Services, the NYPD, the MTA and homeless outreach contractors will hand out palm cards stating that unlicensed selling is illegal and can result in fines, and post fliers inside shelters housing migrant families, the mayor’s office said. The handout also provides contact information about access to school, child care and the rights of workers and immigrants.

“It’s a preventive strategy,” said Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for health and human services.

She said the information would be given to migrant families when they enter the shelter system as part of their intake process.

The sight of migrant children selling food and candy — in some cases seemingly unaccompanied by an adult — has persisted for many months, with little to no intervention from city agencies.

Migrant children who sell candy have said they are helping their families earn money to buy basic necessities, such as diapers for their younger siblings. Administration officials argue that the issue reflects differences in cultural practices and underscores the need for federal work permits allowing migrant adults to work legally and better provide for their families.

Unlicensed vending on the subway and streets violates several rules and laws, including state restrictions on when minors can work and what kind of jobs they can do. State law also requires all children between the ages of 6 and 16 to be enrolled in school. The city established a task force earlier this year to address the issue of children migrants selling food instead of going to school.

Williams-Isom said the city is not seeking to fine migrants and stressed that the Adams administration does not want to take an “enforcement approach” toward underaged vendors. She said many migrants may not realize their children are breaking the law.

The fliers and palm cards will be translated into 10 languages and Quechua, an Indigenous language spoken in South America, according to the mayor’s office.

But homeless and immigration advocates expressed skepticism about the outreach plan, saying the city’s policy of forcing migrant families to leave or reapply for shelter after 60 days has made it harder for them to find work and keep their children in schools.

“It’s hard to build a relationship with someone when you’re throwing them out of a shelter every 60 days,” said Joshua Goldfein, staff attorney for the nonprofit Legal Aid Society, which has been monitoring the city’s shelter practices for migrants.

Recent data released by the City Council showed nearly 700 students left the city’s school system between January, when the 60-day policy began for migrant families, and March. But it is unclear how many of those children were migrants and whether some had relocated to other cities.

Murad Awawdeh, director of the New York Immigration Coalition, an advocacy group, echoed concerns about the effect of the shelter limits. He faulted the city’s case management process, saying it has been more focused on getting migrants to leave the shelter system than help them find permanent housing.

“Education is more than giving someone a piece of paper and assuming they can read it,” Awawdeh said, calling the city’s flier initiative inadequate. “It’s about explaining it and really engaging someone in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.”

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Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

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