By The newspaper
Apr 30, 2024, 17:24 PM EDT
Baltimore County, Maryland, has launched a Strategic Plan for the Welcome and Integration of Immigrants 10 months after the creation of a New Americans Task Force.
“Diversity is our strength and we are proud to welcome new residents who come from around the world eager to share their values and use their talents to make our communities more vibrant,” said County Manager Johnny Olszewski. in a statement this Monday.
The official established a New Americans Task Force in June 2023 with the purpose of building a positive relationship with the growing immigrant population that is now almost 12% of the county’s population.
“We recognize that the task of creating a welcoming place is never complete, and we aspire to continue the search for new ways to strengthen and support members of the immigrant community,” said the Chief of Immigrant Affairs in the county, Giuliana Valencia Banks. .
The Working Group held meetings with different population groups, distributed surveys in five languages, and identified the obstacles that immigrants face in obtaining health care, education, recreation, public assistance and business resources.
The strategic plan, contained in a 42-page report, includes demographic information about the county, and data on immigrants’ purchasing power, their strong record of homeownership and their entrepreneurial energy.
The population of Baltimore County has been declining since 2020 and the demographic loss would be even greater if it were not for the contribution of immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council.
Colorado does the opposite
While Baltimore County takes this measure to welcome and integrate immigrants, in the city of Denver, Colorado, it has left hundreds of immigrants seeking asylum without help.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced on April 10 the Denver Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (DASP) aimed at approximately 1,000 applicants. Of all the people who tried, 200 have already been rejected.
In a statement sent to EFE, the Denver Action Network for Housing Access (HAND), focused on helping newcomers, expressed that “the requirements (of DASP) are impossible and prevent the most people qualify for that program, especially affecting those who need the most help.”
With information from EFE.
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