A network of taxpayer-funded government offices called “Offices of New Americans” now operates in more than a dozen states and several major cities, directing public money toward services for both legal and illegal immigrants, including free healthcare, legal advice, food assistance, education, and job placement.
State-level offices exist in New York, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Vermont. The model has also spread into Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska, and Utah.
Some cities have built their own offices on top of the state programs. New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and St. Louis all run city-level versions. Several of these city offices provide free attorneys to immigrants fighting deportation proceedings, meaning taxpayer money is being used to contest removal actions inside the immigration system. City offices are also able to funnel additional public funds toward both legal and illegal immigrants beyond what the state programs provide.
A nongovernmental organization called World Education Services (WES) has been involved in helping state lawmakers set these offices up, providing an informational packet used as a template. That packet describes the offices this way:
“Offices of New Americans (ONAs) are state-level departments that focus on policies, programs, and services supporting immigrant and refugee integration. They work across agencies and sectors to advance inclusion, workforce participation, and community engagement.”
The offices have drawn criticism online, with one social media post asking why states are building government offices for “new Americans” while questioning the treatment of citizens, and tagging the president directly: “Are you kidding me? STATES are building GOVT OFFICES for ‘NEW AMERICANS’ What about the Americans that you left dying in their cars and on the streets? @POTUS WTH is going on?”
Another post raised the funding question directly to federal officials: “Have you heard of the Office of New Americans State Network (ONA) @WHFraudTF @DOJFraudDiv @AGToddBlanche Looks like USA Taxpayer Money going to illegals (i.e. NEW AMERICANS) — Who is that?”
The existence of this office network comes to light with roughly two weeks left before the midterm elections, in which immigration ranks among the top concerns for voters nationally, second only to economic issues. Voters in the states and cities listed above can check directly with their state or local government to confirm whether an Office of New Americans operates in their area and what services it funds.
