Meyer creates Office of New Americans amid period of hardship for Delaware immigrants

by José Ignacio Castañeda Perez, Spotlight Delaware November 6, 2025

Gov. Matt Meyer established the Delaware Office of New Americans on Monday to aid the state’s nearly 119,000 immigrants amid a period of unprecedented hardships, yet continued prosperity, for many.

Delaware joins nearly half of all U.S. states that already have a similar office to help newly arrived immigrants with citizenship aid, workforce development and civic engagement resources. Meyer appointed Rony Baltazar-López, a native of Milford and a child of immigrants, as the office’s inaugural director, who will provide “integral support” to the state’s immigrant communities, according to a statement released by the Governor’s office. 

The creation of the office, which will be housed within the Department of State, comes at a time when immigrant communities are facing a slew of challenges, largely due to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Many of Delaware’s Haitian immigrants have fled to Canada as the Trump administration jeopardizes their legal status, while Venezuelans have already had their temporary protected status revoked.  

The crackdown has upended the lives of Latino immigrants across the state, mirroring nationwide trends that are punctuated by people being too scared to leave their homes for fear of being targeted. 

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