Dayton, OH to attract immigrants

While most states are adopting tough anti-illegal immigration laws, or at least contemplating new ones, the city of Dayton, Ohio is working to do the opposite.

DAYTON, OH (Catholic Online) - Dayton, Ohio has announced that they are planning to become the friendliest place for immigrants. The city of almost 150,000 people, has developed the "Welcome Dayton Plan." The plan is intended to serve as a framework for policies that can make the city more welcoming place.

While the city has been battling a tough economic times, city officials believe that welcoming immigrants into Dayton could help reverse the long-running economic downturn. Proponents of the plan say that immigrants have created new businesses and thousands of jobs despite the floundering economy.

City officials are quick to point out that the plan does not necessarily support illegal immigrants but rather legal immigrants. Although it is unclear how the plans policy will make a distinction. Numerous state laws around the country have directly targeted illegal immigrants while Dayton officials say they are simply trying to create an immigrant family culture within the city.

According to city manager, Tim Riordan, "Critics conveniently connect the word 'immigrant' with the word 'illegal' when talking about the Welcome Dayton Plan, but that's not what this initiative is all about. We have many good people from all nationalities coming here to invest in the community and to build a better life."

Critics of the plan still say that at least some of its proposals will make it easier for illegal immigrants to settle in the city. For example, the plan proposes the creation of municipal identification cards for residents who don't have any other form of ID. Such a plan would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain legal identification.

Another proposal is a recommendation that police only perform immigration status checks for suspects of serious crimes. This would protect illegal immigrants from deportation if they should be arrested for a minor offense. Naturally, it would not affect legal immigrants in any way.

The plan also asked for federal grants to teach English to immigrants, and suggests using city lobbyists to go to the state and federal legislatures to promote pro-immigration laws.

There appears to be little or no opposition to the plan in Dayton. At the public hearing, only 10 members of the public stood up to speak to the commissioners about the plan. Only one spoke out against it, while  nine spoke in favor. And the citizen who criticized the plan wasn't from Dayton but rather from nearby Columbus.

City commissioners have unanimously supported the plan.

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The Welcome Dayton Plan may or may not have a significant impact on the local economy. But it will certainly make Dayton a more comfortable place for the thousands of immigrants who live there now, and the thousands more that Dayton officials hope to attract.

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