FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2023

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NEW YORK CITY CONCLUDES  NATIONAL CONVENING OF U.S. CITIES AND COUNTIES IN SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANT INCLUSION

The convening united cities nationwide in discussing best practices to support new arrivals and immigrant communities.

NEW YORK – The 8th annual national Cities for Action (C4A) national convening concluded today energized in fostering welcoming communities. This two-day event brought together localities from 14 states, including San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Clara County, CA; Aurora and Denver, CO;  Miami-Dade County, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Boston and Somerville, MA; Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MD; Oakland County, MI; Saint Paul, MN; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA; Austin, and El Paso County, TX; and Seattle, WA. Community leaders united to exchange strategies and best practices for enhancing immigrant inclusion and support.

The event focused on pressing issues, such as asylum seeker response, legal aid, health care, mental health, and workforce integration. The event fostered a collaborative environment for cities to discuss advocacy strategies. Interactive panels and workshops provided insight into how local, state, and federal governments can better support in welcoming immigrants. 

The convening concluded with a reinforced commitment to strategic priorities for the upcoming year including but not limited to the below items:

• Advocacy for increased access to employment authorization 
• Calling for federal resources to support new arrivals 
• Advocacy for permanent protections for immigrant youth, DACA recipients, Dreamers, TPS holders, people who are undocumented, and other vulnerable immigrant populations
• Engagement with the C4A coalition and national immigrant advocacy organizations to understand important information and data to better support the communities we serve
• Grow the C4A coalition by recruiting new localities of all sizes, geographic locations, and political affiliations to strengthen the coalition's ability to affect change in support of pro-immigrant policies and programs at all levels of government

The Cities for Action network continues its dedication to advocating for policies and programs that uplift immigrant communities across the United States.  

“The gathering of municipalities this week in New York City is a powerful testament to our collective goal to uplift asylum seekers and promote immigrant inclusion,” said MOIA Commissioner Castro. “We hope these united efforts set a new benchmark in advocating for pro-immigrant policies. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we carry this momentum forward. This convening is a call for all levels of government to join us in championing a robust, compassionate effort for immigration reform.”

“San Diego is proud to advocate for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and to join other municipalities nationwide in doing the same," said Matthew Griffith, City of San Diego Office of Immigrant Affairs. "As the largest border city in the nation, San Diego is uniquely impacted by this humanitarian crisis. The opportunity to collaborate with other cities and localities on best practices for our immigrant populations can help all of us identify more effective solutions at the local, state, and federal levels.”

“As the City of Chicago’s first Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights, it was an honor to participate in the 8th annual Cities for Action convening. Together, we aim to strengthen communities and build a unified vision that advances the well-being of immigrants, migrants, and refugees in our respective cities and across the nation,” said Beatriz Ponce de León, Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights.

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About Cities for Action  

Cities for Action is a bipartisan coalition of nearly 200 U.S. mayors and county executives working to advocate for and promote civic inclusion of our immigrant communities. Click HERE to see a list of Cities for Action mayors and county executives. To learn more about our work, follow us on Twitter.