State and Local Initiatives
They say all politics is local, right? While most of the debate about immigration focuses on congressional action (or inaction), local communities across the country are the ones who feel the value of immigration most tangibly. Now active in more than 50 communities – more than 80 percent of which are in conservative states – the NAE State & Local team works with policymakers, business, and civic leaders to promote policies and programs that help create jobs and drive economic growth. You can explore more of our work on the state and local level here.
‘In Our Best Interests’ to Legalize Hardworking Immigrants, Says Lawyer
Elliott Ozment, founder and managing attorney at Ozment Law Firm, has made a career of defending the underdog, and that includes Nashville’s foreign-born. Again and again, immigrants run up against outdated visa quotas, decades-long waiting lists, an expensive, burdensome process, and threats of deportation. Ozment tells the story of… Read More
Somali Asylee Now Creates Dozens of U.S. Jobs
Abdirahman Kahin came to the United States from Africa in 1996 seeking asylum. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur and the CEO of Afro Deli, a fast, casual restaurant with two locations in Minneapolis. “We’re about to open a third location at the airport,” he says, “and we’re approaching $2… Read More
Most Foreign Laborers Want to Return Home, Says Immigration Aide
Ricardo Diaz was born in Mexico to an American mother and a Mexican father. He was educated in the United States, and spent summers with his family in Mexico. He’s seen the best of both worlds. Now he works as a youth development program manager for Latino families at the… Read More
Immigrant Farm Workers Offset Population Loss in an Illinois Small Town
The town of Rantoul, Illinois, used to be home to a U.S. Air Force base. Ever since the base shut down, in 1993, the community has struggled to rebuild its population. Meanwhile, a growing agriculture industry has attracted immigrants, primarily from Mexico, who travel north to work in the corn… Read More
Immigrants contributed $7.6 billion to the GDP of Greater New Orleans in 2014, New Study Shows
New Orleans, LA – Today, the City of New Orleans and New American Economy released a report documenting the economic impact of immigrants in the metropolitan area. Accounting for seven percent of the overall population, the foreign-born of New Orleans make an outsized contribution to the local economy through… Read More
Louisianan Says it’s the Strangers Who Make His Town Home
Chris Wade cares about the people of Monroe, Louisiana. He was born there, raised there, and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology there, from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He’s also spent a significant portion of his adult life volunteering in and around the city: driving a truck for… Read More
Immigrants Bring an Alabama Town Back to Life
Ashley Cummins has lived in Russellville, Alabama, her entire life. When she was young, the downtown area was “full of people in the streets and in the shops,” she says. Slowly, though, the once-popular shopping district transformed into “a ghost town.” “People just didn’t have the time and money to… Read More
After Accepting Immigrants, Kentucky Thrives
Since the city of Owensboro, Kentucky, began helping immigrants and refugees secure employment and affordable housing, something has happened: the local economy has grown 6 percent and unemployment has dropped to one of the lowest rates in the state. “A lot of these folks are entrepreneurs at heart,” says Joe… Read More
Refugees Learn English — Then Buoy Kentucky Economy
It’s been four decades since Skip Cleavinger moved to Bowling Green to study at Western Kentucky University, and in that time he has witnessed a significant shift in the demographics of west-central Kentucky. A local refugee resettlement program and a livable community — with job opportunities, strong schools, and a… Read More
‘Just Give Them a Meal,’ Says Pakistani-American Whose Restaurant Feeds the Homeless
When Kazi Mannan threw a grand opening party for Sakina Halal Grill, his Pakistani-Indian restaurant in Washington, D.C., his friends were surprised that they weren’t included on the guest list. Did he ditch them for a bunch of high-ranking politicos? No. The VIPs were all homeless. After serving his homeless… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
