Immigrants as Economic Engines for Cities

Readers have suggested in the past that the best way to revive Flint is to flood it with immigrants who could take advantage of the cheap housing and start new businesses. It appears Baltimore is putting that plan into action.

Steven J. Markovich at Atlantic Cities reports:

Baltimore is hoping new outreach programs and legal protections will encourage more immigrants to make the Charm City their new home in the United States. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake hopes to attract 10,000 new families over the next ten years, and expects many to be immigrants 

In March, Rawlings-Blake prohibited police and social agencies from asking about immigration status, and asked federal immigration officials to explicitly tell people they arrest that they are not agents of the city. The city’s outreach to Latinos is particularly notable with city-run classes in Spanish. While more immigrant-specific initiatives are still under development, the mayor has launched a variety of programs to make Baltimore a more welcoming place, with goals of improving schools, lowering crime, lowering property taxes, and increasing jobs.