During the 1990’s the percentage of foreign-born (as opposed to native-born) Americans surged to levels not seen since the early 1900s, reaching almost 11 percent of the U.S.’s total population. During this same period Baltimore City, which has a comparatively small foreign-born population (less than 6%), lost 11.5 percent of its population. These trends, together with a decade’s experience with refugee resettlement, have lead Baltimore City’s leaders to ask: Can an effort to attract more immigrants to Baltimore City help to reverse the five decade decline in the City’s population?

A recent Abell Study explored the premise that immigration can do exactly that. On March 27, 2003, the Mayor’s Office convened a meeting of community partners/stakeholders to discuss the Abell Report and to begin to formulate an immigrant support strategy for the City of Baltimore. The group concurred that the City needs to:

1) Announce that it intends to initiate an immigrant outreach and support program.

A program designed to retain and attract immigrants to Baltimore. A comprehensive public-private initiative that is sustained, coherent and strategic. One that has the strong support of the Mayor and his deputies, and engages all of the assets of the City, based on the conclusion that the economic and social vitality immigrants bring will enhance the City for all its residents and institutions. Moreover, a program that helps to stem Baltimore's population decline through the attraction and retention of foreign-born residents in a manner that does not disadvantage native-born residents;

2) Hire an "Immigrant Support and Outreach Coordinator" and provide him or her with the support to succeed; and

3) Establish specific, attainable priorities for the first year.

The Immigrant Support and Outreach Coordinator is responsible for carrying out Baltimore City’s immigrant support strategies and initiatives, and in involving all relevant public and private partners.

The Immigrant Support and Outreach Coordinator

• Works with the Mayor’s Immigrant Support Working Group (MISWG) to plan, coordinate and implement immigrant support strategies and initiatives.

• Provides coordination and direction to City departments in initiating and responding to immigrant needs and requests.

• Establishes working relationships with Baltimore City’s existing immigrant communities to build bonds, cultivate involvement, and identify and catalogue existing immigrant support assets.

• Works with neighborhood leadership to successfully involve neighborhood partners in immigrant support efforts.

• Enhances the accessibility and responsiveness of city services to immigrants and foreign-language speakers through outreach programs to educate them of available services

• Coordinates a list of translators and interpreters in the city to facilitate communication between city agencies and foreign language speakers

• Serves as an advocate for immigrants and immigrant support initiatives and services within the City of Baltimore.

• Serves as an ombudsman to address immigrant community concerns relating to City and other services, and sees to it that community complaints are resolved in a timely fashion.

• Creates other mechanisms to draw the key players together to cooperate in promoting immigration--employers, colleges and universities, financial institutions, community leaders, private and parochial schools, and city departments.

• Develops a lobbying agenda, possibly in conjunction with other cities, to secure federal and state resources to support immigration to Baltimore City, and to give priority to immigrants who choose to settle in cities like Baltimore.

• Advises the Mayor, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, and others in City Government on important issues and activities related to immigration.

• Analyzes and provides recommendations to the Mayor and the Mayor’s Chief of Staff on policies and initiatives relating to immigration.

• Maintains an awareness of current immigration laws.

• Represents the Mayor and the Mayor’s Office, as needed, at community meetings.

This position requires a high degree of skill in the following areas:

• Developing and coordinating relationships, meetings and activities with numerous private and public agencies.

• Devising promotional materials, events and activities.

• Responding to and initiating communications with community leadership.

• Analyzing and developing immigration policy.

Demonstrated interest in immigrant affairs and knowledge of a foreign language is preferred. Legal residency or U.S. citizenship is required.