Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
At a time when the Trump administration is pushing for record levels of deportations, Delaware has taken the opposite tack ― launching a new office to welcome and assist newcomers. The Office of New Americans began operations this month, the second such office in the tri-state region, following New Jersey. What is the Office of New Americans intended to do? The office will seek to help people navigate the citizenship process, and try to make sure those the people who Gov. Matt Meyer calls “our newest neighbors” can access language services, workforce-development programs, and civic-engagement resources. “When immigrants arrive in Delaware, they don’t just add to our population ― they strengthen our neighborhoods, enrich our culture, and build businesses that benefit all Delawareans,” Meyer said. “The Office of New Americans will be responsible for ensuring every immigrant has the support they need to succeed in our state.” Do other states have these offices? Yes. Delaware officials say nearly half of U.S. states have an Office of New Americans or something similar. But not Pennsylvania? No, although some legislators are trying to create one. A bill that describes immigrant entrepreneurial efforts as crucial to the state’s future was referred to committee for greater study in January. New Jersey established its Office of New Americans in 2020, responsible for administrating the state’s Refugee Resettlement Program and for providing immigrants with access to social, employment and legal services. Why do states like Delaware want immigrants to come there? Lots of reasons, but mostly: Growth, in population, tax dollars and culture. In states and cities that are not growing or growing slowly ― like Pennsylvania ― attracting immigrants offers a way to boost the population and bring in people who’ll create new jobs. Immigrants are more likely to start businesses than native-born Americans, research shows. In 2019, immigrant entrepreneurs made up 21.7 percent of all business-owners in the U.S., even though immigrants comprise only 13.6% of the population, according to the American Immigration Council. A 2025 council analysis showed that immigrants contribute billions of dollars to the national economy, even as President Donald Trump pushes for record levels of deportations. The council found that immigrants build housing wealth, help keep programs like Social Security and Medicare solvent, and fill gaps in the labor force in STEM, healthcare, and agriculture. Delaware officials estimate that immigrants there already contribute about $1.4 billion a year to the state economy. Delaware is among the least-populated states. Does it have many immigrants? Proportionally, yes. State officials estimate that 11.5% of the state’s roughly 1 million people are immigrants. That’s a higher percentage of immigrants than in Pennsylvania, where 8% of the population is foreign-born. Neither state approaches New Jersey, where 24% emigrated to this country. Who is going to run the new Delaware office? Rony Baltazar-Lopez, who was named the inaugural director by Delaware’s governor. He most recently served as director of policy and communications for the Delaware Department of State. “There’s so much negative rhetoric around immigrants, and negative connotations that they’re here to not contribute, or they’re not assimilating,” said Baltazar-Lopez, the son of immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala. “The Office of New Americans, the vision is to help immigrants integrate.” What is he going to do first? Hit the road, to conduct a statewide listening tour. The goal of the tour will be to better understand the needs of Delaware’s immigrant communities and the organizations that support them. The state is committed to ensuring that all residents can contribute, participate and thrive, he said. “This office is an opportunity for immigrants coming into the state or those already where to know there is a state agency that is trying to help them,” he said. “There’s a lot of positive opportunities here.”
