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The city recognizes that a large percentage of its inhabitants were born abroad or are the children of parents who were born abroad. It is important for members of this community to fully and equitably participate in economic, civic, social and cultural life in the city. It is therefore desirable that the city promote the utilization of city services by all its residents, including foreign-born inhabitants, speakers of foreign languages and undocumented immigrants. Further, the city has a strong interest in advancing the rights of immigrant residents and removing barriers that unnecessarily impede immigrants from integrating into the city in an equitable manner.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
(A) There shall be established in the city the Office of Immigrant Advancement (hereafter known as the “Office”) which shall be under the charge of an Officer known as the Executive Director of Immigrant Advancement (hereafter called the “Director”). The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Mayor.
(B) The Office shall:
(1) Ensure that any service provided by a City Agency shall be made available to all immigrants who are otherwise eligible for such service to the same extent such service is made available to citizens unless such agency is required by law to deny eligibility for such service;
(2) Support the city in creating a welcoming environment for immigrant residents where they can experience belonging, stability and integration;
(3) Ensure that immigrant communities can actively participate in government and other civic and community efforts;
(4) Promote the recognition and public understanding of the contributions of immigrants to the city; and
(5) Advance systemic reforms of laws, policies and practices in support of immigrant residents.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
The Director, or designee, of the Office shall have the power and the duty to:
(A) Advise and assist the Mayor in developing and implementing policies designed to assist immigrants and speakers of languages other than English in the city, in consultation with the Office of Language and Communication Access, with respect to language accessibility;
(B) Enhance the accessibility of city programs, benefits and services to immigrants and speakers of languages other than English, in consultation with the Office of Language and Communication Access, by establishing outreach programs in conjunction with other City Agencies and the Council to inform and educate immigrants and speakers of languages other than English of relevant city programs, benefits and services;
(C) Conduct research and advise the Mayor on challenges faced by immigrants, including, but not limited to, obstacles to accessing city programs, benefits and services, and on socio-economic trends related to such persons;
(D) Monitor and conduct analysis on local, state and federal laws, policies, enforcement tactics and case law regarding issues relating to and impacting immigrant affairs, including potential strategies for addressing such developments and maximizing the positive impacts to local immigrants;
(E) Promote equitable treatment of immigrants by City Offices, Departments, Board and Commissions and other governmental Agencies;
(F) Make recommendations and provide coordination and support to City Departments and Agencies concerning public policies, programs, services and regulations, including sections of the charter and the administrative code, as they affect or may affect immigrants;
(G) Serve as liaison between the city and its immigrant communities, in order to support the safety, growth and general welfare of such communities;
(H) Solicit community and stakeholder input regarding the activities of the Office, including, but not limited to, the Office’s consultations with relevant agencies on implementation of sections of the charter and the administrative code that are relevant to immigrants; and
(I) Perform such other duties and functions as may be appropriate to pursue the policies set forth in this Section.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
(A) All City Departments shall cooperate with the Office and provide information and assistance as requested; provided, however, no information that is otherwise required to be provided pursuant to this section shall be disclosed in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of information or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement.
(B) The Office shall annually provide to the Boston City Council and post on the Office’s website a report regarding the city’s immigrant population and the activities of the Office during the previous calendar year, including, but not limited to, the following information, where such information readily is available:
(1) The size and composition of such population, including, but not limited to, demographic information, socio-economic markers, and estimates of the immigration status held by members of such population, if any;
(2) Information regarding the needs of such population including, but not limited to, social services, legal services, housing, public benefits, education and workforce development needs;
(3) Information regarding barriers faced by such population in accessing such services, and recommendations on how the city could address such barriers; and
(4) Information and metrics relating to each programmatic initiative of the Office, including initiatives that are conducted in partnership with other Offices or Agencies, including, but not limited to:
(a) Total program capacity, disaggregated by service type;
(b) Number of intakes or program eligibility screenings conducted;
(c) Number of individuals served, disaggregated by service type;
(d) Number of matters handled, and aggregate data on the outcomes achieved, disaggregated by service type; and
(e) With respect to legal services initiatives, the number of individuals directly supported or referred to other legal services providers, disaggregated by service and case type.
(Ord. 2023 c. 10)
The city is inhabited by a broad and diverse set of constituents from cultural communities, some of which have been and may continue to be underrepresented in city government decision making. Therefore, a concerted effort to develop policies and programs that are responsive to the strengths and needs of these cultural communities is necessary to ensure equity and inclusion for these communities in the city.
(Ord. 2023 c. 8)
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