Newly sworn in immigrants pass along American Flags as keep sakes Oct. 28 at the US Citzenship and Immigration Services building in Centennial, Colo.

AURORA | In the past two years, Aurora has reinvigorated its sister cities program, opened an immigrant welcome center and hosted an annual GlobalFest, a gastro-centric celebration of the city’s increasingly diverse demographics.

Now the city has created a three-year plan for how to better integrate the people from 140 countries who make up Aurora.

Newly sworn in immigrants pass along American Flags as keep sakes Oct. 28 at the US Citzenship and Immigration Services building in Centennial, Colo.
Newly sworn in immigrants pass along American Flags as keep sakes Oct. 28 at the US Citzenship and Immigration Services building in Centennial, Colo.

“It’s a population the city hadn’t focused on yet in a strategic way the same way you work with veterans or seniors,” said Roberto Venegas, Aurora’s assistant city manager. Venegas was tasked by Aurora City Council with creating the city’s first Office of International and Immigrant Affairs in 2014.

The office is part of a comprehensive plan that includes creating a citizens academy to educate new residents about public safety, as well as a city-sponsored ESL and civic class specifically for the immigrant and refugee community. The plan also calls for training city staff in meeting the needs of foreign-born residents, and creating training programs for immigrant and refugee small-business owners.

“This population has a tremendous amount of value as part of the economy and Aurora’s tax base. It’s in our self interest to bring them into the fold,” Venegas said.

The plan even aims to reach out through activities such as an International Bike Day and an Aurora International Soccer Cup.

Another part of the plan looks to formalize the Aurora Immigrant and Refugee Task Force by turning it into a commission and establishing an International Cabinet that will meet on a monthly basis and oversee programs related to immigrant integration.

According to the latest study put forth on the topic by the Pew Research Center, immigration since 1965 has swelled the nation’s foreign-born population from 9.6 million to a record 45 million in 2015.

“What’s happening in Aurora is happening all over country,” said Ricardo Gambetta, who was hired in April to head the new Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “We’re becoming more cosmopolitan, more diverse.” 

U.S. Census data shows  1 in 5 Aurora residents are foreign-born, with Hispanics comprising 30 percent of the population, blacks 15 percent, and Asians 5 percent.

17 replies on “Aurora releases comprehensive plan for tackling immigration”

  1. Aurora use to be the place to live. Not anymore, an influx of both legal and illegal Mexicans comprize an over the top of Mexicans, most can speak English but don’t want to OR don’t know nor care to learn it. Their kids _ and they have a bunch – don’t speak English leaving it up to teachers to teach it, thus taking time away from our legal children to carry on! I’m with Trump, send them back – if all ok with them what is the problem following the law of becoming legal – red flag. Other countries require their language spoken, wht cant the U.S. require same?? And why should i have to press one for English, like we are second rate citizens, this is all BS. I’m becoming very disillusioned with this country i was born and rsised in

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    2. FIRST OF ALL: deportation is NOT gonna happen. Live with it. So the next thing would be to see how we can assimilate the immigrants legal or otherwise. Our President had a decent plan. The GOP won’t have any of it and so the whole issue just languishes. Time for a National ID card with fingerprints and DNA.
      If you come on a visa and overstay then your card expires and if stopped by ANY LEO and caught? You are immediately deported, family or not. Give them a path to citizenship, say 5 years not the current 13 years maybe…that’s ridiculous. That’s good for a start. Hey, Genie, if you aren’t liking Aurora…there are plenty of other places in the country…though the mix is mixing and ‘whites’ are being assimilated as well…..just a fact of life.

      1. Your f-ing guy in the WH has NO plan at all, except perhaps to bow to Arabs and pretend he’s not a muslim, or at minimum a muslim lover, ‘the sweetest sound I ever heard is the call to prayer’ That’s him talking about those muslim wailing towers partner. I do agree with your visa overstays however.

          1. You mean the ‘good Americans’ waiting for an opportunity to come to America and become Americans, right?

    3. Would you rather press “2” for English? Better for your second-ratedness. Immigrants often risk everything for a better life, what did you do? Oh yeah, “you were born here.” Just like lots of kids Trump wants to deport.

      Anyone, including Trump, Cruz, et al., who would deny any natural-born citizen their 14th Amendment rights to Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection is a traitor to our Constitution.

      1. No YOUR guy in the WH is the traitor to this country. He alone, has made America nearly a 3rd world country, no respect, no common sense (like yourself) and a closet muslim. Yes, I believe that. It’s not a stretch, he was raised by two muslim fathers and a muslim mother, the acorn don’t fall far from the tree. Trump makes sense, good sense, you and yours make no sense at all, ‘anything goes, for everyone and anyone, criminals, terrorists, etc’ Idiot.

    4. Could not possibly agree more Zimmerman. Many on here are more Perry like, liberal to a fault, guilty white people, never saw a ‘undocumented’ person they didn’t love, well, you and I apparently have seen many, because we care to look.

  2. Let’s face the truth: Immigrants
    and minorities are now a major force in America. They and the children they
    bear account for 60 percent of our nation’s population growth, own 11 percent
    of US businesses, and are 60 percent more likely to start a new business than
    native-born Americans. In fact, forty percent of Fortune 500 companies were
    started by an immigrant or a child of an immigrant, creating 10 million jobs
    and seven out of ten top brands in our country.

    More importantly, the vast majority of these
    human beings—both legal and undocumented—come to improve their lives and create
    a foundation of success for their children to build upon, bringing skills and a
    willingness to work hard to make their dreams a reality, something our founders
    did four hundred years ago.

    However, most struggle in their efforts and
    need guidance in Anytown, USA. Perhaps intelligent immigration reform, White
    House/Congress and business/labor cooperation, concerned citizens and
    informative books can extend a helping hand, the same unwavering hand, lest we
    forget, that has been the anchor and lighthouse of American values for four
    hundred years.

    A new award-winning worldwide book/ebook
    that can aid immigrants and minorities and is endorsed by ambassadors,
    educators, and editors: “What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A
    To Z: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business,
    Language and More.”

    Here’s a closing quote from the book’s
    Intro: “With all of our cultural differences though, you’ll be surprised to
    learn how much…we as human beings have in common on this little third rock from
    the sun. After all, the song played at our Disneyland parks around the world is
    ‘It’s A Small World After All.’ Peace.”

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    2. ‘both legal and undocumented’ UNDOCUMENTED my Butt! ILLEGAL,

      It’s liberal idiots like yourself that will be the downfall of this once great country.

  3. LOL….please…it’s all about the money….all the nice fancy words mean nothing…..you would put your grandmother in a meat grinder if she was getting into your pocket book.

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