The New York City Council on Thursday abandoned a proposal to automatically enroll residents in city-administered benefits amid concerns about privacy and potential impacts on immigrant communities. Instead, members approved a scaled-back measure directing the Department of Social Services to explore the feasibility of automatic enrollment across various benefit programs.

The original initiative aimed to increase participation in programs like Fair Fares by using tax records, social services databases, and other government data to identify eligible individuals and enroll them without requiring applications. Supporters argued this approach could simplify access to benefits and boost enrollment. However, the council expressed apprehension that automatically sharing personal information could infringe on privacy rights and generate risks, especially for immigrants.

Several Democratic council members voiced worries that data-sharing could be accessed by federal authorities and potentially jeopardize immigrants’ green card applications. Concerns were also raised that the automatic enrollment system might inadvertently include ineligible individuals, such as undocumented immigrants, potentially leading to increased costs estimated to reach billions of dollars.

Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, who introduced the original bill, had noted the persistent challenges faced by programs like Fair Fares, which offers subsidized transit fares to low-income residents but has struggled to reach eligible participants. The revised legislation stops short of mandating automatic enrollment but requires a formal study by the Department of Social Services to examine the practicality and privacy implications of such a system before any implementation moves forward.

The measure passed unanimously, reflecting broad consensus around balancing improved access to benefits with safeguarding sensitive personal information. The study’s findings will inform future deliberations on whether automatic enrollment can be adopted in a manner that protects privacy while expanding access for vulnerable populations in New York City.