New York has canceled the live queue for IDNYC: now you need to sign up online

One Brooklyn enrollment center turned away applicants because the social services agency switched to an online-only appointment system, according to The City.

The New York City Department of Human Services canceled all IDNYC appointments after migrants faced long lines. Some have stood out in the cold overnight to get a card that doesn't actually do what many applicants think it does.

DSS Community Outreach sent out an email announcing the changes. People who tried to apply on Monday, January 29, were refused. At the DSS office in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, guards gestured at a QR code that applicants could scan to try to make an appointment online. As of Tuesday afternoon https://www.izakayasushilounge.com “No appointment slots found.”

Neha Sharma, a spokeswoman for DSS, said the move to an online-only appointment system is intended to “maximize efficiency and ensure the health and safety of New Yorkers, including newly arrived asylum seekers, by discouraging people from standing in line outside the center.” in cold weather."

New appointments open every week on Fridays and fill quickly due to overwhelming demand, Sharma said, although the online form doesn't say so. The online portal does not allow applicants to see available slots, but requires them to first select an area or specific enrollment center, time and date, starting in mid-March.

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Alpha Amadou, a migrant from Guinea who now helps others register for a city ID at the Harlem nonprofit Afrikana, is concerned that the change creates another barrier for new arrivals. Although the online appointment portal can be translated into many languages, simply understanding how to get to the translated page is a complex process.

Why do migrants need IDNYC?

According to office employees, more than 200 people were in line every night for several weeks. Some of them stacked cardboard boxes and even set up tents for warmth. Most people waiting in line mistakenly believed the card would help them get hospital treatment or that they needed it to get a work permit, the New York Times reported.

City officials are also working to dispel misinformation about the ID, including “the fact that IDNYC does not provide work authorization or affect immigration status.”

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The IDNYC card was first launched in 2015 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said it would help undocumented immigrants come out of the shadows to “live a fuller life, a better life, a life full of respect and acceptance.” The cards, which come with discounts for museums and other destinations, can be used in place of a passport for everyday activities and allow people without other documents to open accounts at some banks.

In 2023, the number of cards issued increased by 50% compared to 2022 to 122. This jump is due to an increase in the number of migrants arriving in New York from the southern US border.

New difficulties

Boerum Hill resident Dalia Morales says the situation in her neighborhood has become untenable, with hundreds of people waiting outside for hours. One particularly cold night, a woman brought warm clothes for those waiting and began complaining about the situation to 311 and the local police station. “What's going on that everything is so slow there? – she was perplexed. - It’s hard for them, it’s cold. It is sad".

When word spread about the new online-only appointment policy, about two dozen recent arrivals who had not heard about the changes found themselves out of work. At least one arriving migrant left, saying he didn't have a phone to scan the QR code.

Those who were not allowed into the registration point expressed confusion and disappointment. “We called 311 and they told us to come here, and now we come here and they told us no,” said Isabelle Patiño, who accompanied her parents to try to get IDNYC. The couple arrived in New York about six months ago from Ecuador.

She said the 311 operator told her there were no openings until March. “There’s no reception anywhere,” she said. “We’ll go to Queens and try to find another way.”