About The Project

As the United States witnesses a dramatic rise in immigration, local communities are grappling with how to react to demographic change. Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative recruits and supports local governments to create immigrant-friendly environments that maximize opportunities for economic growth and cultural vitality. Led by Welcoming America, the Initiative provides local governments with a ready model to help them proactively welcome newcomers through immigrant-friendly policies, practices, and programs and through partnerships with nonprofits to proliferate initiatives that build trust, empathy, and intercultural understanding between newcomers and long-time residents.

Launched in June 2013, the Initiative convenes city and county governments to share good ideas; access tools, resources, and training; and receive recognition for their efforts to create more welcoming communities. Today, nearly 40 local governments have joined the network, from Chicago and Los Angeles to Dodge City, Kansas and Clarkston, Georgia. The Initiative not only institutionalizes welcoming for immigrants – linking grassroots efforts to concrete social change – it also promotes the research-supported idea that immigrants are assets to communities, spurring a “race to the top” to attract and retain immigrants and promoting welcoming across the U.S. at a scale unimaginable just a few years ago.