City Leaders Launch IDNYC On The Go! Mobile Enrollment Van at New York City Football Club Home Opener

March 12, 2017

IDNYC partner New York City FC celebrates diversity fans by hosting first rollout of IDNYC mobile command center

NEW YORK— Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Commissioner Nisha Agarwal and Commissioner Steven Banks today unveiled IDNYC on the Go!, a mobile enrollment center bringing IDNYC and its extensive array of benefits directly to New Yorkers. To reduce obstacles to government issued identification, IDNYC on the Go! is an ADA-accessible enrollment facility that will serve New Yorkers where they live and work. The command center debuted today at New York City FC’s home opener at Yankee Stadium, where the team and IDNYC partner celebrated the diversity of their fans and surpassing 1 million fans at Yankee Stadium.  

“IDNYC was created to bring New Yorkers of all stripes closer to their city, and to bring the city closer to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Today we are rolling out our new mobile enrollment center at New York City Football Club’s first home game, dedicated to celebrating their fans and families that make New York City the most diverse and culturally rich city in the world. We know that demand remains high for IDNYC, and this new mobile enrollment site will help us sign up more New Yorkers, and will even double as an emergency recovery vehicle.”

“The IDNYC Mobile Command Center will not only help make IDNYC even more accessible to the various communities in our City, but also serve as a vehicle for emergency recovery services. This will ensure that more New Yorkers can be connected to the resources they need,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs on improving access and utility of IDNYC for our residents."

Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Nisha Agarwal said, “We know New Yorkers are busy and we want to make it easy for them to get all of the amazing benefits that go along with being an IDNYC cardholder, so today we are unveiling our new mobile command center to meet people where they live, work, and play throughout New York City. IDNYC is the largest municipal ID program in the country, and we’re just getting started. With fantastic partners like the New York City Football Club, we will continue to increase access to the diverse cultural and entertainment experiences that make living in NYC so great for all New Yorkers. We are thrilled to unveil IDNYC on the Go! at Yankee Stadium and look forward to taking this enrollment experience across the city.”

Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said, “This new mobile command center will not only help ensure that more New Yorkers can easily take advantage of IDNYC, it can also be utilized by the Human Resources Administrations in emergencies to sign people up for emergency benefits, to transport emergency supplies and to coordinate emergency response.”

New York City FC President Jon Patricof said, “We are proud to be the only Major League Soccer club in the five boroughs and are honored that our fanbase represents so many countries – a true reflection of New York City’s multiculturalism. Thanks to our terrific partners at IDNYC, we are giving fans the opportunity to participate in an on-field pregame celebration at our home opener on Sunday. See you at Yankee Stadium.”

"IDNYC on the Go! is brilliant. City services must meet people where they live, work and play. This new IDNYC enrollment vehicle that doubles as an emergency response command center is a model for future community engagement and public service," said Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration.

"This new mobile enrollment center will bring IDNYC to an even greater number of people," said Council Member Daniel Dromm, prime sponsor of the legislation that created the identification card. "IDNYC is available to all New Yorkers regardless of gender identity, immigration status or income level. It connects cardholders with a host of benefits and services, and is a great way to show NYC pride. I thank the NYC Football Club for partnering with the city to bring IDNYC enrollment to Yankee Stadium. Thanks to joint efforts like these, IDNYC is fast becoming a household name."

"As a longtime advocate for the rights and protection of our immigrant community, I am very proud of IDNYC's ongoing success. IDNYC offers tremendous benefits for New Yorkers, especially our most vulnerable communities. My sincere thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Commissioner Nisha Agarwal and Commissioner Steven Banks for continuing to expand this critical and groundbreaking program. Also, many thanks to the New York City Football Club for partnering with IDNYC in these outreach efforts," said State Senator Jose M. Serrano.

"I am proud to join with Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Argawal, Commissioner Banks and the NYC Football Club to launch the IDNYC on the Go! initiative in District 16 of the Bronx. I'm grateful that over two years ago, we created the IDNYC identification program to allow New Yorkers a unique opportunity to obtain an identification card and learn more about our city's cultural institutions. This overly successful program has reached more than 700,000 New Yorkers to date and through our new efforts with an IDNYC on the Go! unit, we aim to attract even more New Yorkers, particularly those vulnerable communities that often don't access City services. I look forward to this initiative and the continued partnership as we expand opportunities with our largest municipal identification program. Thanks to all stakeholders for their creativity and efforts in bringing this important program to our Bronx community!," said Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson.

IDNYC opened the Mobile Command Center outside Yankee Stadium, the home of the New York Yankees and New York City FC, for the first time Sunday. New York City FC is a key partner to the IDNYC program, offering discounted tickets to all of their home games for IDNYC cardholders. At their first home game of the season, New York City FC is taking the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of their fan base by flying the flags of the 20 largest immigrant communities in NYC. As part of their efforts to welcome their fans and their partnership with the City, they are hosting the IDNYC Mobile Command Center at Yankee Stadium from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

As IDNYC partners, New York City FC makes family-friendly entertainment even more accessible to New Yorkers. New York City FC collaborated on a video promoting IDNYC as a card for all New Yorkers.

This mobile command center will operate year-round, staffed by IDNYC staff, and has the capacity to process between 40 and 60 applications per operating day. It will also be utilized by the Department of Social Services as an emergency recovery vehicle. It is equipped with a generator and electrical power systems that are self-sufficient and will be fully operational in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Further, the vehicle is configured and connected with DSS computers and corresponding networks, which allows for it to be repurposed to provide other essential DSS services, including: 

• Serve as a crisis management outpost with internet and phone access, and as a conference area with seating
• Transmit, receive and communicate information to other city agencies and programs pertaining to larger emergency and evacuation plans
• Transport and distribute emergency supplies, medicine and food
• Direct traffic due to visibility and lighting system 

Sign up New Yorkers for essential services, including:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and emergency food services 
• Medicaid support and benefits
• Cash assistance for TANF and WeCare recipients, as well as individuals who qualify under other guidelines

IDNYC has a wide array of benefit partners. All City residents age 14 and above are eligible to get a municipal ID card, and enrollment is free for anyone who applies in 2017. All IDNYC applicants must have documentation that proves identity and residency in New York City. The City will protect the confidentiality of all IDNYC card applications and will not ask applicants about their immigration status. For more information on eligibility criteria, benefits, enrollment centers across the five boroughs and more, applicants can visit nyc.gov/idnyc or call 311.