October 31, 2024

Dear John,

Immigration remains a top priority for Americans in this election cycle. And we write to provide you with some key insights about immigrants in our communities in an effort to help challenge misinformation and foster meaningful conversations about the role of immigrants and immigration in the U.S. this fall. 

While many were on summer break, ongoing welcoming initiatives did not take a vacation. Across the country, our Office of New Americans State Network welcomed Hawai’i and New Mexico, upping the count of network participants to 22 states. Despite the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, a heatwave, and massive power outages, Texans—including our Houston-based team—made a special effort to attend Houston’s largest-ever naturalization ceremony, where more than 2,500 people were sworn in as new U.S. citizens. 

Naturalization Ceremony: Houston, Texas || July 10, 2024

Additionally, more than 2,000 events took place as partners across the globe participated in Welcoming America’s 2024 Welcoming Week (September 13-22), a national initiative where organizations and communities affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive policies to strengthen our communities. Closing out summer activities, more than 17,000 individuals across the country became new citizens as part of Citizenship Day celebrations on September 17.

Naturalization Ceremony: Houston, Texas || July 10, 2024

As temperatures heated up this summer, so did our team’s travel. We attended conferences and working group meetings in Northwest Arkansas; Boston, Massachusetts; Medina, Ohio; and Washington D.C. to support our partners.

As we bring out our sweaters and pumpkin spice, we’re gearing up for what’s to come after the November election and looking ahead to the 2025 state legislative sessions. Our team is strategizing on how best to assist our partners as they pursue inclusive immigration policies, while also preparing to challenge harmful anti-immigrant and anti-refugee bills that have been on the rise recently.  

We appreciate your ongoing support, engagement, and dedication to making our communities welcoming for all. We look forward to partnering with you during the remainder of this crucial year and for what’s to come in 2025!    

– Rich André, Director of State & Local Initiatives 

• With most state legislatures having adjourned for the year, the State and Local team is reflecting on the immigrant-related policies this year and examining the impact of state policies on immigrant communities across the U.S. This summer, we looked into how anti-immigrant policies in Florida threaten the state’s invaluable workforce, and in July, we discussed how 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement entities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) impact public safety. 
• We’re also closely following state policies and actions being challenged in the courts, like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent fight against organizations serving migrants and Iowa’s anti-immigrant policy that was blocked by a federal court judge in June, was appealed by the Iowa Attorney General, and awaits a decision following oral argument in September.
  

• With the addition of Hawai’i and New Mexico, our Office of New Americans (ONA) State Network has grown to 22 states. This year, several other states, including Vermont, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maine are considering or have passed legislation to create an ONA.  
• In September, Rich André, Director and Juan Avilez, Policy Associate attended the 2024 Arkansas Immigrant Defense (AID) convening in Northwest Arkansas. The event brought together local and national perspectives, serving as a forum for immigrant-serving organizations to learn from one another. The Council’s team presented data on the demographic and economic contributions of immigrants across the state of Arkansas, providing important context for the conversations that took place throughout the day.

• Also in September, Rich and Caitlin McTiernan, our new ONA State Network Program Manager, participated in an all-day ONA meeting in Boston for New England immigration advocates and policymakers. The Massachusetts and Maine ONAs hosted the event, which included individuals from prospective ONA states in the region like Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The meeting provided an opportunity to share insights on the ONA State Network, the benefits of an ONA, and strategies to establish an ONA.

• In August, we hosted a webinar for our Global Talent Chamber Network, business coalition members, and business compact signatories on leveraging immigrant talent in the workforce. The event, “Unlocking Opportunity: Optimizing Your Workforce with Immigrant Talent,” included a discussion on H-2A visa demand and an overview of the Council’s recently-released H-2A worker map, employment-based visas, English upskilling, and USAID’s H-2 visa program. Additionally, this factsheet explores the H-1B visa program to help fill STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs. 
• On September 30 - October 1, the State and Local team held its 8th annual Global Talent Chamber Network Convening, titled “Business Leadership on Immigration During an Election Year” in Columbus, Ohio, in partnership with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. The event included a federal landscape overview from the Council's executive director, Jeremy Robbins, and the AILA executive director, Ben Johnson. It also included opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and the sharing of resources to help chambers continue to lead on policies related to workforce development and immigrant integration, as well as a site visit organized by Vibrant Ohio to The Ohio State University James Cancer Center. Check out the recap of the event.

GTCN Convening: Columbus, Ohio || October 1, 2024

GTCN Convening: The Ohio State University James Cancer Center || October 1, 2024

• This month, the Council, in collaboration with the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) and the Refugee Advocacy Lab, published a business leader letter urging the Biden administration to take action to eliminate the work permit backlog and provide stable access to work permits for all immigrants. More than 100 businesses, chambers of commerce, and business coalitions signed the letter which was sent to the administration on Friday, October 25.

• In partnership with the Council’s Texas business coalition, Texans for Economic Growth, alongside partners at Harris Health, the Greater Houston Builders Association, and the Houston Gulf Coast Building & Construction Trades Council, the State & Local team released of a series of new reports that underscore the crucial role immigrants play in the labor forces of three main Texas’ industries: healthcare, construction, and energy. The reports were launched in partnership with Texans for Economic Growth, at “Empowering Texas: Immigrants’ Contributions to the Texas Workforce,” a regional event attended by over 90 business and community leaders. 
• The Council and TEG also launched a series of five reports that highlight immigrants’ positive economic impact on Texas’ border communities in partnership with local business groups. The data highlights what the communities of Brownsville, El Paso, McAllen, Laredo, and the Middle Rio-Grande Valley already know: immigrants are central to the very fabric of each community and help drive economic growth, contributing millions of dollars in taxes and spending power.  

• In June, the Biden administration announced two new administrative actions. The first, the Keeping Families Together parole-in-place program, helps streamline paths to legal status for the undocumented immigrant spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. However, this historic new policy is in jeopardy as 16 Republican-led states quickly filed a lawsuit challenging it.  
• The second action streamlines the D-3 waiver application for college-educated DACA recipients and Dreamers to allow them to more easily apply for employment-based visas. Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration published this explainer about the program.  
• Republican-led states sued to block DACA recipients from accessing health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in August. 

• The Council released a new report “Mass Deportation: Devastating Costs to America, Its Budget and Economy,” that details the catastrophic impact of a potential mass deportation and family separation plan. The findings – which are further discussed in this webinar and interview – lay out in detail how mass deportation would mean devastation and economic disaster for communities across the United States. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and 60 Minutes both featured the report to illustrate what mass deportation might look like. 
  
• The Council released a factsheet, FEMA’s Role in Migrant Assistance: Exploring the Shelter and Services Program, to explain what this limited pool of funding does, how the bipartisan program came into existence, and how this funding is utilized by local and state recipients. 
• In August, the Council released “The Cost of Immigration Detention and Border Security.” The factsheet reviews how much money has already been spent on enforcement activities, and what outcomes they have produced.  
• “Unpacking Myths About Noncitizen Voting – How Heritage Foundation’s Own Data Proves It’s Not a Problem,” examines what the data shows and how extraordinarily rare noncitizen voting is.  

• Despite long-held misconceptions, studies continue to reveal that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens, as captured in this factsheet and accompanying blog.  

• A new factsheet, Birthright Citizenship in the United States and a blog explore the origins of birthright citizenship in the U.S.  

• The Wall Street Journal: Tim Walz’s Immigration Record Mirrors Democratic Push to Embrace Migrants 
• The Indiana Lawyer: Immigration positively impacting U.S. labor market 
• Border Report: Immigrants contributing to South Texas economy, reports find 

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