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July 1, 2024 Dear
John,
As immigration policy continues to be front and center during this year's presidential campaign, this newsletter will keep you informed of trends we are seeing at the state and local level and how our team is helping advance immigrant inclusion work across the country.
Our team has been busy tracking state legislation introduced this year, supporting chambers of commerce with their D.C. fly-ins, and traveling to communities across the country that are advancing welcoming and integration work. In April, our team attended Welcoming America’s annual Welcoming Interactive in Dallas, where we partnered with the City of Dallas - Welcoming Community and Immigrant Affairs Division (WCIA) to launch a new report, Economic Impact Report: New Americans in Dallas [[link removed]].
We've also been sharing the Council's Map the Impact [[link removed]] tool – an interactive map with comprehensive national, state, and local immigration data – which was recently updated with 2022 state-level data!
The members of the American Immigration Council's State & Local team standing and smiling [[link removed]]
We also launched a State and Local X account [[link removed]] (formerly Twitter) to share news and updates and to uplift the incredible state and local-level work communities across the country are doing to welcome newcomers. Follow us!
We were thrilled to see the Biden administration announce two major policies that would help provide streamlined paths to legal status for certain long-time undocumented immigrants. You can read this factsheet [[link removed]] and blog [[link removed]] to learn more about the policy changes and the impact they could have on over 500,000 estimated individuals and their families.
We appreciate your ongoing support and engagement and look forward to continuing to partner on work across the nation during this crucial year!
– Rich André, Director of State & Local Initiatives
State Legislative Wins
Since the 2024 state legislative session kicked off in January, state legislatures have continued to prioritize policies impacting immigrant communities [[link removed]] . Our team has tracked over 700 immigrant-related bills so far this year, and we have provided testimony, data, and analysis for more than 17 policies that welcome newcomers. These include bills creating a statewide Office of New Americans, like Hawaii’s Senate Bill 2787 [[link removed]] and Vermont’s Senate Bill 194 [[link removed]] , advancing workforce opportunities like Virginia’s House Bill 995 [[link removed]] , and promoting language access like Colorado’s House Bill 1368 [[link removed]].
We’ve also helped push back against harmful policies, including several bills that aim to replicate [[link removed]] provisions in Senate Bill 4 [[link removed]] , Texas’ 2023 anti-immigrant bill. We partnered with the Refugee Advocacy Lab, the International Refugee Assistance Project, and the International Rescue Committee to help mobilize against anti-refugee and anti-asylum state legislation ( you can request a copy of the toolkit here [[link removed]] ). In a victory for immigrant communities in Iowa and across the country, a federal district court blocked Iowa’s SF 2340 [[link removed]] on June 17, one of the most far-reaching immigration laws ever passed in the state, after the Council filed [[link removed]] suit.
State Investment in Immigrant Inclusion
In March, our team led representatives from 10 State Offices of New Americans on a site visit to San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico border. The goal was to better understand federal, state, and NGO efforts to process and welcome new arrivals. Over two days, we met with Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection officials, as well as staff from Jewish Family Service of San Diego and Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego.
The members of the American Immigration Council's State & Local team standing and smiling [[link removed]]
In February, Micaela McConnell, our Senior Policy Associate, traveled to St. George, Utah, to present data from the Council’s new report, New Americans in Southern Utah [[link removed]], at the New Americans in Southern Utah Symposium [[link removed]] hosted by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Utah Center for Immigration and Integration, the Center for Economic Opportunity and Belonging, and Utah Tech University’s Office of International Programs.
Business Leadership on Immigration
In collaboration with the Council’s Texas business coalition, Texans for Economic Growth [[link removed]], and the Texas Association of Business, the State & Local team partnered with Texas and Houston-based organizations on the release [[link removed]] of a new report, New Americans in Houston [[link removed]] at “Houston: Poised to Lead,” a regional event attended by over 150 business and community leaders.
As the business community continues to advocate for sensible federal immigration reform, the Council has been supporting chambers of commerce with their D.C. fly-ins. This includes the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Odessa Chamber of Commerce, Midland Chamber of Commerce, and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, all of whom shared their immigrant and immigration-related policy priorities and how federal immigration policies impact their local workforces.
Celebrating Welcoming Communities
With the support of the Council and Welcoming America, three communities in our Gateways for Growth (G4G) Round V cohort launched strategic welcoming plans so far this year: the Welcoming Fort Wayne Plan [[link removed]] , the Baltimore County Welcoming & Strategic Plan [[link removed]] , and the 2024 Strategic Plan for Immigrant Inclusion in Santa Fe.
These three communities, alongside South Bend, IN (who launched their regional plan [[link removed]] in December 2023), were awarded up to $27,000 each to support the implementation of their plan’s recommendations as part of the G4G Implementation Technical Assistance and Grant Awards [[link removed]].
Federal Policy
On April 4, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced [[link removed]] a temporary rule that increases the automatic extension period for employment authorization and EADs of certain EAD renewal applicants, including those based on a pending asylum application, from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. To learn more, you can read our Policy team’s blog [[link removed]] analyzing the decision and the Council’s statement on the rule [[link removed]].
Council Resources Corner
* This factsheet [[link removed]] and blog [[link removed]] summarize the Biden administration’s recent announcements regarding parole-in-place for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and work visas for DACA recipient s.
* Map the Impact [[link removed]] now includes new 2022 data at the state level.
* Four new briefs highlight the contributions immigrants make in high-demand occupations that require a professional or occupational license in Maine [[link removed]] , Massachusetts [[link removed]] , Michigan [[link removed]] , and New York [[link removed]] .
* Ohio, We Have a Problem [[link removed]] sheds light on civil rights violations in Ohio.
* Our analysis of Department of Labor data, The Expanding Role of H-2A Workers in U.S. Agriculture [[link removed]] , reveals significant demand across the country for H-2A workers, foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.
State and Local Initiatives in the News
* Michigan Advance: Immigrants can help with population and labor challenges in Michigan, report finds [[link removed]]
* KLTV 7 East Texas: New Data Shows Hispanic Americans Play a Vital Role in Economy, Population, Growth, Labor Force [[link removed]] .
* The Dallas Observer: Report: Immigrants Contribute Billions to Dallas Economy [[link removed]]
If you've been forwarded this email and are not subscribed, we invite you to sign up for our State & Local Newsletter [[link removed]].
The State & Local Initiatives team supports policymakers, business leaders, and civic organizations across more than 100 local communities and nearly 40 states by equipping them with economic research, technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning, and advocacy opportunities. Our partners use Council resources to champion evidenced-based policies and programs that welcome immigrants and drive economic growth for all residents. Make a donation today. [[link removed]] Blog [[link removed]] | www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org [[link removed]] |
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American Immigration Council
1331 G St. NW, Suite 200
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