→ Lea esta historia en español, traducida por Gabriela Rivera
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At the beginning of November, Delaware became the latest US state to launch an Office of New Americans, with Rony Baltazar-Lopez appointed as its inaugural director.
Milford-born Baltazar-Lopez is no stranger to the concept: From the beginning, he helped get the legislation passed in Dover, hoping to expand resources for people like his parents, who immigrated to Delaware from Mexico and Guatemala.
“Just being in the immigrant space, my trajectory has always been about breaking barriers and overcoming them,” Baltazar-Lopez said. ”My parents’ primary language was Spanish, so having to always translate to them or accompany them and be their advocate gave me a different perspective on life.”
Almost half of US states have adopted Offices of New Americans (ONA) since the idea first gained traction over a decade ago. During Gov. Matt Meyer’s election campaign in 2024, he talked about his commitment to establishing one in Delaware.
“Just being in the immigrant space, my trajectory has always been about breaking barriers and overcoming them.”
Rony Baltazar-Lopez, Delaware Office of New Americans
The legislation to do so had been introduced the previous February by state Sen. Darius Brown of Wilmington. It easily passed through the Elections and Government Affairs Senate Committee that year, and an updated version, Senate Bill 27, introduced in January of this year, passed through the committee in March.
“The office is to help individuals that are residing in Delaware navigate government to better deliver services that state government provides to these populations,” Brown told Technical.ly in April.
At the time, there was no definitive answer to when the Delaware ONA would launch, as states navigated the slashing of federal funding. Now it’s actually operational, led by someone whose resume makes it seem like he’s long been training for the job.
Understanding the needs of immigrant communities
Baltazar-Lopez has focused on immigrant needs for most of his career.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 2017 with a political science and government degree, Baltazar-Lopez worked for US Sen. Tom Carper on a portfolio that consisted of immigration, homeland security and foreign affairs. Returning to state government two years later, he worked in the Attorney General’s Office in communication, then moved to the Delaware Department of State, where he’s been for almost five years working in legislative affairs and communication.
During that time, Baltazar-Lopez engaged with state Sen. Brown on the different iterations of the Office of New Americans he’d introduced.
“It started with the first bill a couple years ago,” Baltazar-Lopez said. “I think the office was going to be named Office of New Delawareans.” After conversations with him and other stakeholders, the name was changed to Office of New Americans, partly because it was easier to translate.
Now that he’s leading the Delaware ONA, Baltazar-Lopez stressed that the goal is to support and enhance the work that is already being done by community organizations.
“Our main objective in the coming months is to begin a listening tour in the immigrant communities, as well as with organizations that serve our immigrant population,” he said. “They’ve been assisting our immigrant communities — whether they speak Spanish, Creole or any other language — we know that they’ve been doing the work.”
After the listening tour, the ONA will make a plan and work with existing partners so that they don’t duplicate efforts.
FAQ: Delaware Office of New Americans
What is the Delaware ONA?
It’s a new state office created to help immigrants and other newcomers navigate Delaware’s government services more easily. Things like helping people understand what programs they qualify for and connecting them with available resources.
Who is leading the office?
The inaugural director is Rony Baltazar-Lopez, a Milford native and son of immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala. He’s worked on immigration, homeland security and foreign affairs for US Sen. Tom Carper, and later in Delaware’s Attorney General’s Office and Department of State.
How did this office come about?
State Sen. Darius Brown first introduced legislation a few years ago to create an office focused on immigrants, originally called the Office of New Delawareans. After feedback from Baltazar-Lopez and other stakeholders, lawmakers advanced an updated version — Senate Bill 27 — which passed committee earlier this year and set up the Office of New Americans.
What will the office do first?
Baltazar-Lopez says the first priority is a listening tour with immigrant communities and the organizations that already serve them, including those working in Spanish, Creole and other languages. The goal is to understand needs and then coordinate with existing partners rather than duplicate their work.
Why does Delaware need this now?
More than 1 in 10 Delaware residents was born outside the US. That share is slightly below the national average, but state leaders say helping newcomers integrate strengthens local economies and communities — and signals that Delaware is a “welcoming state” at a time of fear and uncertainty for many immigrants.
How does Delaware compare to other states?
Almost half of US states now have some form of Office of New Americans. Delaware joins neighbors like Maryland and New Jersey, while other states such as Pennsylvania have struggled to pass similar legislation amid partisan divides.
‘Delaware is a welcoming state’
More than 1 in 10 Delaware residents is born outside the US. That’s actually below the national average of around 15%, as reported by Pew.
But while Delaware’s ONA effort came to fruition this year, and similar offices have been launched in Maryland and New Jersey, some states have faced challenges in getting their initiatives off the ground,
In Pennsylvania, for example, there has been a 10+ year push to establish an ONA. Its establishment has been held up by the partisan divide, according to Pa. Sen.Sharif Street, the prime sponsor for a bill to establish it.
Baltazar-Lopez suggested advocates could try to make it more of a bipartisan issue by highlighting both integration and the benefits to local economies.
“Focus on the strength of the immigrants and what they contribute to our societies,” he said. “I think that’s the way to go about establishing these types of offices in each state.”
Ultimately, Baltazar-Lopez said, it’s about stronger communities.
“We want our immigrant community in Delaware and neighboring states to know that Delaware is a welcoming state,” said Baltazar-Lopez. “We hope that once we get a little bit established and have our footing, that people will start being more receptive, especially during these times of fear and uncertainty.”
This story, and all of Technical.ly's immigration reporting, is made possible by the WES Mariam Assefa Fund.
The WES Mariam Assefa Fund supports catalytic efforts to create more inclusive economies for immigrants and refugees in the US and Canada. It works closely with organizations and leaders focused on ensuring more equitable access to opportunity and wealth.
