Puntos Clave
- Delaware creó la Oficina de Nuevos Americanos el 3 de noviembre de 2025, dentro del Departamento de Estado.
- El estado tiene ~119,000 inmigrantes (11.5%), 79,000 trabajadores y 6,900 emprendedores que aportan $1.4 mil millones anuales.
- Los arrestos administrativos del ICE aumentaron casi 115% desde enero de 2025, con un promedio de 1.6 arrestos diarios.
(DELAWARE) Delaware Governor Matt Meyer on November 3, 2025, announced the creation of the Delaware Office of New Americans, a new satellite within the Department of State designed to provide targeted support to immigrants amid a period of intensified anxiety and federal enforcement. The office arrives as the immigrant community in the state faces mounting fear and practical barriers, with the aim of offering citizenship assistance, language access, workforce development, and civic engagement resources. In a moment of palpable unease, the new office is framed as a concrete effort to reassure residents that Delaware will protect its diverse population while connecting newcomers to the services they need to build lives and contribute to their communities.
Rony Baltazar-Lopez was named the inaugural director of the Office of New Americans. Baltazar-Lopez, who previously served as Director of Policy and Communications at the Department of State, is the son of immigrants. He stated:
“As the son of immigrants, I am deeply honored to lead the establishment of the Office of New Americans. Immigrants are vital to the strength of our economy, the richness of our culture, and the fabric of our communities. It’s time we fully recognize and support their contributions.”
His remarks underscore a leadership lineage that policymakers hope will translate into practical programs and visible protections for immigrant families navigating a landscape of tightening enforcement and evolving state policies.
Delaware’s immigrant population is substantial: roughly 119,000 people, about 11.5% of the state’s total residents. Of these, approximately 79,000 live in the workforce, including 6,900 entrepreneurs, who collectively contribute about $1.4 billion annually to Delaware’s economy. The numbers frame the office’s mission in human terms as well as economic: immigrants who start businesses, fill essential jobs, and enrich communities across the First State. The creation of the office is presented not as a standalone gesture but as part of a broader strategy to safeguard immigrant participation in public life, ensure access to vital services, and sustain economic vitality in the face of shifting federal priorities.
The timing of the launch is inseparable from the climate of enforcement in neighboring arenas. Authorities report that administrative arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have risen markedly since President Trump took office in January 2025, with an increase of nearly 115% in Delaware. On average, ICE makes about 1.6 arrests per day in the state. In rural communities such as Frankford, Seaford, and Millsboro, the crackdown has produced a tangible chill: abandoned cars, disrupted daily routines, and a climate of fear that keeps many residents indoors, wary of driving, and cautious about even routine communications in a landscape where information and rumors move quickly. Local leaders and advocates say fear is reshaping everyday life for immigrant families, a reality the new office is intended to address through trusted outreach and language-access services.
In response to these concerns, Delaware has also moved to insulate local policing from federal immigration functions. In July 2025, Governor Meyer signed a package of four immigration-related bills, including HB 182, which prohibits Delaware law enforcement from entering into 287(g) agreements with federal immigration authorities. The measure is designed to prevent local police from collaborating with ICE and to preserve trust within immigrant communities, an objective cited by supporters as essential to maintaining public safety and effective policing. The new approach aligns with a broader effort to delineate the roles of state and local authorities from federal immigration enforcement, a line frequently debated in states facing similar pressures.
Community reaction to the office and the broader policy shift has been notable. Immigrant rights attorney Xiaojuan Carrie Huang, based in Wilmington, said:
“I do get a lot of phone calls from my clients or potential clients, and sometimes they do not specifically have a situation that they need us to help them with, but they just express their fear.”
Her testimony highlights the practical anxieties that prompted the office’s creation: fear of raids, of family separation, and of being unable to access essential services without fear of exposure or retaliation. Mike Brickner, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware, welcomed the development and the legislation. He said:
“For Delaware to say, ‘We’re not allowing this,’ I think is hugely important. It’s important to make sure that our local law enforcement stays focused on local issues, that they don’t lose the trust of immigrant communities, and that they are not engaged in any of this immigration work.”
Such statements give a sense of the ongoing tension between enforcement imperatives and community protections, a tension that the new office is positioned to navigate through policy guidance, outreach, and coordination with state agencies.
Looking ahead, the Office of New Americans is planning a statewide listening tour to gather input from Delaware’s immigrant communities about their needs and concerns. The office will coordinate closely with the Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance to translate listening-tour insights into concrete services, outreach, and policy recommendations. Officials emphasize that the listening tour is intended to be inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the everyday realities of immigrant residents who have been navigating a changing enforcement landscape and evolving state policies.
The office’s inception also reflects a broader narrative about integration and protection in a time of national debate over immigration policy. Delaware’s leaders have framed the Office of New Americans as a point of contact for language access, citizenship assistance, workforce development, and civic engagement—areas seen as critical to ensuring that immigrants can participate fully in civic life and the economy. By situating the office within the Department of State, the administration signals an emphasis on public-facing services and the practical, day-to-day support that can translate into real improvements in people’s lives.
The presence of a dedicated director with a personal history of immigrant roots is often cited by supporters as a symbol of commitment. Baltazar-Lopez’s leadership is presented as a bridge between policy and lived experience, a factor the administration hopes will translate into more effective outreach and faster, clearer communication with immigrant communities. The emphasis on workforce development and entrepreneurship is particularly salient given the state’s economic profile, where immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to job creation and innovation across small towns and urban centers alike. The figures cited by state officials—119,000 immigrants, 11.5% of the population, 79,000 in the workforce, including 6,900 entrepreneurs, and a $1.4 billion annual contribution—are used to illustrate the stakes of the office’s work and the potential benefits of more structured support and accessible resources.
Observers note that the new office could also affect how immigrant communities interact with state agencies and law enforcement. The combination of formal protections, civic engagement opportunities, and targeted services may help rebuild trust in institutions that, for some residents, have historically appeared distant or intimidating. The listening tour, in particular, is expected to surface not only service gaps but also concerns about access to language interpretation, legal aid, and guidance on citizenship processes—areas where the new office could act as a centralized hub for information, referrals, and advocacy.
Officials stress that the office’s work will be collaborative. Beyond serving as a resource hub, the Office of New Americans aims to connect with local schools, community organizations, and faith groups to disseminate information, provide translation and interpretation services, and help immigrants navigate official processes. The plan to work with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance also signals a practical commitment to facilitating access to legal resources and support, particularly for individuals contemplating legal pathways to citizenship, asylum, or protective status, depending on eligibility and the evolving regulatory environment.
The integration of this new office into Delaware’s governmental landscape reflects a deliberate choice to foreground inclusion as a matter of state policy, not merely a matter of charity or sentiment. Proponents argue that safeguarding trust within immigrant communities is essential for public safety and economic health, particularly in rural areas where communities often feel most exposed to the reach of federal enforcement and the collateral consequences of policy shifts at the federal level. By establishing the Office of New Americans and by asserting a clear boundary between state policing and federal immigration enforcement, Delaware is positioning itself as a model for how states can support immigrant residents while adhering to legal and constitutional principles around local governance and civil rights.
As the listening tour approaches, stakeholders anticipate a practical set of outcomes: clearer guidance for language access in state processes; more accessible pathways to citizenship for eligible residents; targeted job-training and apprenticeship opportunities aligned with Delaware’s economic needs; and a sustained channel for civic participation that integrates immigrant voices into the life of the state. The office’s initial emphasis on citizenship assistance, language access, workforce development, and civic engagement mirrors what residents and advocates say they need most in these uncertain times. For families navigating complex immigration histories, for workers weaving into new communities, and for business owners who contribute to local economies, the Delaware Office of New Americans is offered as a formal, continuing commitment to support, fairness, and opportunity.
As the initiative unfolds, residents and observers will watch closely how the office translates its mandate into concrete programs and services, how it engages with communities across urban and rural parts of the state, and how it collaborates with partners like the ACLU of Delaware and local legal service providers to ensure that rights are protected while practical needs are met. In the short term, the listening tour and ongoing coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance will be the benchmarks by which the public assesses the office’s early impact—the degree to which it can reduce fear, improve access to services, and help immigrant families participate more fully in Delaware’s social, economic, and civic life. The story of the Office of New Americans, in this moment of heightened federal enforcement and local concern, is therefore not only about bureaucracy but about everyday lives—about the ability of families to send their children to school, to access health care, to drive to work, and to participate in the civic life that defines a community. It is a test of whether a state can translate political will into tangible support, and whether the promise of inclusion can endure even as federal policy wobbles and the pressures of enforcement press down on immigrant communities.
For those watching the evolving dynamic, the presence of the Office of New Americans offers a focal point for hopeful expectation: that a state can acknowledge the essential role of immigrants in its economy and culture, and pair that acknowledgment with concrete services, legal support, and pathways to greater civic inclusion. The office’s leadership under Rony Baltazar-Lopez, its emphasis on listening to communities across Delaware’s geography—from Frankford to Seaford to Millsboro—and its stated commitment to protect trust between residents and local institutions present a narrative that may shape Delaware’s approach to immigration policy in the months ahead. It is a narrative that situates immigrants not as a problem to be managed, but as neighbors to be supported, workers to be counted, and citizens to be heard.
For readers seeking more information on immigrant services in Delaware and broader federal guidance, resources remain available through official channels, including federal immigration guidance and support services at USCIS. The Office of Nuevos Americanos, with its explicit branding in Spanish as well as English-language outreach, will rely on coordinated public communication and accessible services to fulfill its mission in a state where nearly one in nine residents trace roots to immigrant families. As the state moves forward with the listening tour and other initiatives, the lived realities of Delaware’s immigrant communities—neighbors like those in Wilmington and the smaller towns—will be the measure of success. The story of Rony Baltazar-Lopez’s leadership, the state’s protective legislation, and the new office’s outreach promises to become a defining feature of Delaware’s approach to immigration in the coming years.
Aprende Hoy
Oficina de Nuevos Americanos → Unidad estatal para asistencia en ciudadanía, acceso a idiomas, desarrollo laboral y participación cívica para inmigrantes.
Acuerdo 287(g) → Arreglo que permite a la policía local colaborar en la aplicación de leyes migratorias federales; HB 182 lo prohíbe en Delaware.
Naturalización → Proceso legal para que una persona elegible obtenga la ciudadanía estadounidense.
Gira de consultas → Series de reuniones públicas y privadas para recoger opiniones y necesidades de comunidades inmigrantes.
Este Artículo en Resumen
Delaware creó la Oficina de Nuevos Americanos el 3 de noviembre de 2025, dirigida por Rony Baltazar-Lopez, para ofrecer asistencia en ciudadanía, acceso lingüístico, desarrollo laboral y participación cívica a unos 119,000 inmigrantes. La iniciativa responde a un aumento del 115% en arrestos del ICE desde enero de 2025 y se complementa con HB 182, que impide acuerdos 287(g). La oficina coordinará con la Oficina de Asistencia Migratoria del Departamento de Justicia y realizará una gira estatal para fijar prioridades y restaurar la confianza.
— Por VisaVerge.com
