The City of Atlanta today hosted a White House Regional Convening on New Americans aimed at strengthening the federal regional infrastructure supporting efforts to welcome and integrate immigrants. Mayor Kasim Reed hosted an assembly of more than 50 federal, state and city officials, along with local agencies, service providers and community leaders, who discussed Atlanta’s legacy as a welcoming city as well as pressing issues facing the region’s immigrants and foreign-born residents.

“The City of Atlanta has a long and proud legacy of inclusion and progress,” said Mayor Reed. “I am proud to continue that tradition today by partnering with the Obama Administration to host the White House Regional Convening on New Americans. Atlanta’s immigrant and foreign-born population are leaders in our community, starting new businesses at high rates and investing right here in Atlanta. I established the Office of Immigrant Affairs to offer support and to ensure opportunities are open to everyone.”

Today’s convening is the fourth of numerous regional gatherings scheduled to take place in cities across the nation, leading up to the commemoration of Immigrant Heritage Month in June. The purpose of the regional convenings is to highlight immigrant integration best practices and broaden and deepen local multi-sector partnerships to advance civic, economic and linguistic integration efforts. According to the White House Task Force on New Americans, today approximately 42 million foreign-born residents live in the United States. More than 33,000 immigrants and foreign-born individuals call Atlanta home, the equivalent of eight percent of the city’s population. Foreign-born residents account for 22 percent of Atlanta’s population growth from 2010-2012.

The program featured remarks and presentations from Felicia Escobar, Special Assistant to the President for Immigration Policy, and Rachel Peric, Deputy Director of the Welcoming America Initiative. A panel session called “Atlanta, A Welcoming City: Past, Presentand Future,” included experts representing the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Andrew Young Foundation, the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services and Univision. The panel was moderated by Rose Scott, a journalist with WABE 90.1FM, a National Public Radio affiliate.

“Today, we are in Atlanta as part of a multi-city tour aimed at strengthening and supporting local immigrant and refugee integration efforts," said Felicia Escobar. “Under Mayor Reed's leadership, Atlanta is leading the charge for creating welcoming communities and serving as a model for the rest of the nation.”

Multiple offices and departments in the City of Atlanta participated, including the Atlanta Police Department, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, and the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections, along with five federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.