Office of New Americans (ONA) State Network

Together with World Education Services, the Council supports and co-convenes an emerging, nationwide Office of New Americans (ONA) State Network. Through this network, the Council and WES provide a forum for state policy leaders to drive positive change that supports immigrant and refugee integration into the workforce and economy.

The ONA State Network brings together a wide-ranging group of state officials to share best practices in immigrant and refugee integration and act as a critical anchor to help these populations fully integrate into their communities. In addition to supporting the work of existing state offices and immigration policy staff, the ONA State Network extends the following support to officials from other states exploring the possibility of establishing a state-level Office of New Americans, a task force, or a dedicated staff position on immigrant and refugee integration issues:

• Peer-to-peer mentoring on state-level new American integration and economic development strategies;
• Coaching and technical assistance from the Council, WES, and leaders in the fields of workforce and new American integration;
• Policy analysis of federal immigration legislation, directives, and programs, and their projected impact on states; and
• Tailored economic research highlighting the demographic profile and contributions of new Americans to the state.

Members & Participating States

Current member states include California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Participating states include North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.