Delaware launches Office of New Americans to strengthen support for immigrants

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Delaware has officially launched its Office of New Americans, a new state initiative under the Department of State that aims to help immigrants and refugees access resources, start and grow businesses, and build better lives in the First State.

The office emerged from a proposal made by state Sen. Darius Brown, D-New Castle, a couple years ago through legislation, which originally would’ve titled it the “Office of New Delawareans.” After ongoing collaboration with stakeholders and state leaders including the governor’s office and Department of State, the concept evolved into what is now the Office of New Americans, formalized through Senate Bill 27.

The launch comes at a time when immigration remains a divisive topic nationwide — with new arrivals facing mounting fear and uncertainty. But even amid those challenges, Delaware is taking a different approach by working to ensure that newcomers feel welcomed and supported, rather than isolated.

“Everyone, every single person in the state should feel supported and be given an opportunity to thrive,” said Rony Baltazar-Lopez, the inaugural director of the Office of New Americans. “That’s our mission here … to welcome those who come to the state of Delaware or those who have been living here, and finding ways to uplift them, support them, and finding ways that we can reduce those barriers and those challenges.”

While the office is still getting settled, it will eventually serve as a central hub for organizations serving immigrant communities. It will bring nonprofits, agencies and local partners together to ensure stronger coordination and communication, instead of working in silos.

“Whether it’s providing them with citizenship assistance, redirecting them to existing resources, but having that official state body that convenes all these organizations so that we’re all on the same page, that we’re working in conjunction rather than separately,” he said.

Delaware’s immigrant population makes up about 11.5% of the state — roughly 119,000 people. Of those, more than 79,000 are part of Delaware’s workforce, including nearly 6,900 entrepreneurs. Immigrants contribute an estimated $1.4 billion annually to Delaware’s economy.

With a growing Mexican, Indian and Guatemalan immigrant population, the office plans to focus on language access, workforce development, business support and legal assistance. These priorities mirror similar efforts across the country — nearly half of all U.S. states have an Office of New Americans or a comparable program, according to the governor’s office — but Delaware’s will be shaped by its own community needs.

“The priorities for me as the inaugural director for this office is to really just first understand the needs, the struggles and the challenges of the immigrant community from the immigrants themselves, but also of those organizations that are already doing the work,” he said.

Being housed within the Department of State gives the office a direct line to agencies that already support economic and professional growth. That includes the Division of Professional Regulation, which helps with licensing, and the Division of Small Business, which oversees programs like the Encouraging Development, Growth & Expansion, or EDGE, grants that help entrepreneurs start or expand their ventures.

“Being housed in the Department of State is a really helpful avenue because we have very important divisions and offices that already serve some of those immigrant communities,” Baltazar-Lopez said.

The office will also assist those pursuing residency or citizenship, connecting them to legal aid and resources through collaboration with organizations and the Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance.

Baltazar-Lopez emphasized that while immigration policy is largely set at the federal level, there are still tangible ways the state can make a difference.

“We understand that the state has limited jurisdiction and immigration policy, but there are things that we can do and we can find ways to better serve our immigrant community,” he said.

In the coming months, the Office of New Americans will embark on a statewide listening tour to hear directly from immigrant residents and local organizations. The goal, he said, is to first listen and then act. For now, the office does not yet have a physical location, but plans are underway to launch a website, phone line and email where community members can reach out for help and information.