SB 27 establishes the Office of New Americans within Delaware’s Department of State. The bill states legislative findings about the size and economic importance of Delaware’s foreign-born population and concludes that the state benefits from policies that attract, retain, and integrate immigrants and refugees. The new office is intended to improve the lives and economic prosperity of immigrants and Delawareans generally by coordinating state efforts and serving as a central point for immigration-related information and policy support.
The Office of New Americans would be led by a director appointed by the Secretary of State and would function as a clearinghouse for immigration-related inquiries from state agencies, the media, immigrant-serving organizations, and the public. Its duties include analyzing trends affecting immigrants, disseminating information on business, workforce, naturalization, and English-language resources, developing strategies to improve access to state services regardless of English proficiency, advising executive and legislative bodies on proposed legislation, and coordinating with the Office of Immigration Assistance in the Department of Justice.
The bill also creates an Advisory Committee within the office. The committee includes state officials from housing, labor, education, and health and social services, a member of the Human and Civil Rights Commission, and several gubernatorial appointees representing immigrant-serving organizations, higher education, language access, healthcare access, refugee resettlement, and the public. The committee is tasked with making policy recommendations, serving as a liaison to immigrants, helping state agencies better serve immigrant communities, conducting studies, and holding at least one public hearing each year.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of immigrant inclusion and integration. The findings emphasize immigrants’ contributions to Delaware’s economy, tax base, workforce, and civic life, and the bill frames the office as beneficial not only to immigrants but to the state as a whole. The available voting history also suggests broad support, with the Senate passing the bill 20-0 on third reading.
No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to identify specific objections. Based on the bill’s structure, any likely points of contention would center on the need for a new state office, the scope of its policy role, and whether its coordination and advocacy functions overlap with existing agencies, particularly the Department of Justice’s immigration assistance functions.
SB 27 would amend Title 29 of the Delaware Code by creating a new subchapter establishing the Office of New Americans in the Department of State and setting out its powers, duties, staffing, and advisory structure. It would add a new state entity focused on immigrant integration, language access, naturalization support, and interagency coordination, while also creating an advisory committee with cross-agency and public representation. The bill would affect state administrative practice more than private rights, but it would influence how state agencies communicate with and provide services to immigrant communities and how immigration-related policy recommendations are developed.
The bill’s tone and stated purpose are positive and pro-integration, presenting immigration as an economic and civic asset to Delaware. The legislative findings emphasize immigrants’ contributions to business formation, tax revenue, workforce participation, education, and cultural life, and the bill is framed as a practical coordination measure that benefits both newcomers and long-time residents. The recorded vote was unanimous in the Senate (20-0), indicating strong bipartisan or at least broad chamber support, and there is no evidence in the provided materials of organized opposition.
No committee testimony or floor debate was provided, so there are no documented points of contention in the record supplied. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill’s design, could include whether the Office of New Americans duplicates existing functions in other agencies, the cost and staffing of a new office, and the extent to which the office should engage in policy advocacy versus information-sharing. The bill itself anticipates coordination with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance, which may address some overlap concerns, but no specific opposition is identified in the available materials.