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.
State Senator Grew Up Watching His Immigrant Parents Chase The American Dream — Now He’s Living it
When Kentucky Senator Ralph Alvarado took the stage on day three of the Republican National Convention in July 2016, he told the crowd, “Being the son of immigrants, I saw firsthand their sacrifice to provide our family a better life. I watched their strong and quiet commitment to hard… Read More
#GatewaysKC: A look at the economic impact of immigrants in Kansas City
The Kansas City region is one of 20 communities across the country selected to participate in the national Gateways for Growth initiative, an effort sponsored by New American Economy (NAE) and Welcoming America to welcome and integrate immigrants as part of an economic growth strategy. Though the immigration debate has… Read More
Kansas Depends on Its Immigrant Population, Says Former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture
Walk into pretty much any farming, livestock, or agribusiness operation in Kansas, and you’ll find managers who are desperate to expand their workforce — and also plenty of immigrants who’ve come to the state in search of jobs, says former Kansas Agriculture Secretary Allie Devine. With population levels plateauing, and… Read More
President of the American Planning Association’s Iowa Chapter, Says Immigration Reform Can Save Dying Towns
Over the past five years, Ben Champ, president of the American Planning Association’s Iowa Chapter, a national organization with more than 35,000 members involved in the planning profession, has fielded numerous requests from city and town leaders across the country—all them seeking advice on how to attract and… Read More
Cherry Farm’s Ad for American Workers Fails to Get a Single Reply
In the 19th century, Steve Bardenhagen’s great-great-grandfather emigrated from Germany, fought in the Civil War, and was rewarded with the land in northern Michigan that his descendants still farm today. Bardenhagen Berries is now a thriving 180-acre cherry and strawberry farm, with revenues of around $400,000 a year—but Bardenhagen, who… Read More
Successful Arizona Businesswoman to Congress: ‘Take Off the Political Jerseys and Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform’
Master communication and marketing guru Lisa Urias understands the tremendous economic impact of immigration on her home state. “We have a benefit being a border state, and that benefit is tremendous,” says the CEO of Urias Communications, a company that grosses roughly $6 million annually. “We have almost… Read More
Immigration Policies ‘Work Against the Small Businesses,’ Says Head of Major South Carolina Restaurant Group
Steve Carb is the head of SERG Restaurant Group on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, which employs more than 800 hospitality workers annually. During the summer peak season, he manages to staff his 10 restaurants with help from locals and college students. But once school starts in the fall,… Read More
This Indian Immigrant Restaurant Owner Is Bringing Cultural Diversity—and Great Cuisine– to Central California
Falguni Patel is a modern-day pioneer of the Wild West. She and her husband are Indian immigrants who recently started Bombay Indian Food and Chai House in the San Joaquin Valley city of Hanford, where she says the majority of the 55,000 residents are not familiar with Indian… Read More
Republican Party Official: Immigrants Should be Allowed to ‘Come Out of the Shadows’ to Contribute Their Best to America
Linda Lee Tarver says she and her nine siblings were raised by “very fiscally and socially conservative Christian people,” and Tarver — now the president of the Republican Women’s Federation of Michigan — says her faith remains the foundation for her political beliefs, including when it comes to… Read More
This Immigrant is Bringing Billions in Investments and Tens of Thousands of Jobs to Michigan
There aren’t many people who can claim to have created as many jobs as Birgit Klohs, the German-born CEO of Grand Rapids economic development organization The Right Place. Since Klohs took the reins 29 years ago, The Right Place has brought $4.7 billion in new investment and created 40,000 new… Read More
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