Welcoming America’s national policy platform
Forward-thinking communities around the country recognize that being welcoming to New Americans and people of all backgrounds makes them more economically competitive and vibrant places for all residents. Immigrant inclusion today is critical to creating resilient communities and a prosperous future.
While much immigrant inclusion work is advancing at the local level, the federal government has an important role to play in encouraging and incentivizing welcoming strategies. Other national governments, like New Zealand, Canada and Germany, increasingly recognize the important federal role in building inclusion, belonging, and cohesion, and the U.S. government should do so as well.
While Welcoming America is supportive of federal immigration reform and immigrant integration policy change to advance full social, economic and civic participation in the United States, this platform is focused specifically on Welcoming America’s area of focus: helping local communities promote inclusion for immigrants and all residents in support of a more cohesive nation.
Welcoming America suggests the following national strategy for federal government adoption:
Establish an Office of New Americans within the White House, to promote, in partnership with receiving communities, the full social, economic and civic participation of New Americans while addressing equity, with a long-term goal to establish an office of community cohesion. Key roles of the Office would include: