DE Gov Meyer Launches Office of New Americans
November 4, 2025/
Governor Matt Meyer has launched a new Delaware Office of New Americans. This new office is within the Department of State and will provide support to the immigrant community – including citizenship assistance and coordinating with partner organizations. Gov. Meyer has chosen Milford native Rony Baltazar-Lopez as director. About 11.5% of Delaware’s population are immigrants.
Additional information from Gov. Meyer:
This office will ensure that our newest neighbors have access to language support, workforce development, and civic-engagement resources.
“When immigrants arrive in Delaware, they don’t just add to our population—they strengthen our neighborhoods, enrich our culture, and build businesses that benefit all Delawareans,” Governor Matt Meyer said. “The Office of New Americans will be responsible for ensuring every immigrant has the support they need to succeed in our state, and I’m thrilled to have selected Rony Baltazar-Lopez as its inaugural director, who I know will lead this office with integrity, empathy, and efficiency.”
Rony Baltazar-Lopez is the former Director of Policy and Communications at the Department of State and will bring both lived experiences and policy insights to the role of Director of the Office of New Americans. His first day as Director was Monday, November 3, 2025.
“As the son of immigrants, I am deeply honored to lead the establishment of the Office of New Americans,” Baltazar-Lopez said. “Immigrants are vital to the strength of our economy, the richness of our culture, and the fabric of our communities. It’s time we fully recognize and support their contributions. This new office will ensure that immigrants have access to the resources, opportunities, and tools—such as workforce development and language access—needed to successfully build their lives in Delaware and across the United States.”
Nearly half of all U.S. states have an Office of New Americans or a similar entity that assists new Americans. The Office will soon host a statewide listening tour to understand the needs of Delaware’s immigrant community, as well as organizations that currently support them. The Office will also work in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance, which helps immigrants with citizenship assistance.
In Delaware, about 11.5 percent of the population, nearly 118,000 Delawareans, are immigrants. About 79,000 of them are in Delaware’s workforce, including about 6,900 who are entrepreneurs. Immigrants contribute $1.4 billion to Delaware’s economy annually.
With the launch of the Office of New Americans, Delaware commits to ensuring that all residents—regardless of country of origin—are empowered to fully participate, contribute, and thrive as neighbors, workers, business owners, and community members.