Immigrants in Northeast Indiana

Founder, Immigrant Connections

In 2012, Pastor Zach Szmara returned to Indiana, where he’d attended college, after working as a missionary in Mozambique. He only planned to preach at the Bridge Church in Logansport for a few weeks, but the hospitality and warmth he received from some of the Hispanic congregants inspired him to stay. Over the next 14 years, the Bridge’s flock grew from just 15 weekly attendees to reach over 300 people. Much of that growth was fueled by recent immigrants, mostly from Latin America and Haiti, who became a defining part of the church community.

The Bridge’s growth reflects a broader trend. Foreign-born workers, drawn to central Indiana’s meatpacking plants, deliver an economic and demographic boost to the region. “Most of the growth in central Indiana comes from immigrants opening businesses, buying homes, and stepping up and filling gaps,” Szmara says. “Immigration makes everything better.”

To support that growth, Szmara trained as a legal representative, helping members of his congregation with immigration paperwork. Demand surged: over the past decade, Szmara’s team have helped over 6,800 local residents obtain employment authorization and DACA status, gain green cards and citizenship, and complete other vital paperwork. Other local groups provide career advice, language training, and logistical support, Szmara says, but effective legal services are the keystone that help immigrants integrate into their communities.

In 2014, Szmara launched Immigrant Connection, a nonprofit that helps churches around the country set up similar services; this spring, he stepped back from his work at the Bridge to focus all his energy on the project. With 35 offices in 20 states—including several in Indiana—and a new office opening soon in North Manchester, Immigrant Connection has helped over 65,000 immigrants to navigate and abide by the rules of the complex U.S. immigration system.

By working with churches, Immigrant Connection keeps costs low, and offers services in places where immigrants may struggle to get support. Much of the growth is driven through partnerships with local businesses. “I’d never have guessed, 15 years ago, that I’d wind up working with this many big businesses,” Szmara says. “But the business community gets how important this is.”

That’s especially true as federal immigration authorities target immigrants in communities across the country, leaving local businesses struggling to find workers. “If we lose our immigrant workforce, that has a ripple effect on our city budgets, on our hospitals, on our churches, on our schools,” Szmara explains.

The reality, Szmara says, is that immigrants come to places like Wabash County because they’re needed there. Welcoming them isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also the best way to drive growth for everyone. “Workforce needs drew immigrants to come and live here,” Szmara says. “The question is, can we be hospitable enough that they want to stay?”