Spherical VI of the Problem Will Help Native Communities in Welcoming Immigrants
WASHINGTON DC & DECATUR, GA, December 15, 2025 — The American Immigration Council (the Council) and Welcoming America, two nationwide nonprofits, are happy to announce that over 10 native communities have been chosen to obtain Gateways for Progress Problem (G4G) awards as a part of Spherical VI of the initiative. Awardees will obtain a mixture of personalized analysis, technical help, and planning help to develop methods that guarantee all residents — together with immigrants — can succeed and totally contribute to their communities.
The 2026 awardees span each city and rural communities throughout ten states and characterize the broad vary of welcoming work occurring throughout the nation led by native governments, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and group coalitions. A few of these communities embrace:
- Arlington County, Virginia
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Durham, North Carolina
- Fort Bend County, Texas
- Johnson County, Kansas
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Las Cruces, New Mexico
- Mahoning County, Ohio
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Wabash County, Indiana
“For almost a decade, the Gateways for Progress Problem has helped native communities quantify the influence of their immigrant populations and spend money on welcoming insurance policies and applications. We’re excited to work with the brand new cohort in creating alternative for all residents,” stated Wealthy André, Director of State and Native Initiatives on the American Immigration Council.
“This cohort represents native leaders who’re doing the day-to-day work of constructing their communities locations the place everybody can take part and succeed,” stated Molly Hilligoss, senior community director of Welcoming America. “We’re proud to help them as they flip their welcoming values into motion.”
Since 2016, G4G has supported greater than 75 localities throughout 37 states. Collaborating communities have developed welcoming plans that deal with language entry, workforce growth, civic participation, and social cohesion. Many have gone on to move welcoming resolutions, launch new applications, be part of the broader Welcoming Community, and obtain Licensed Welcoming standing—a nationwide recognition for communities that meet benchmarks for inclusion and welcoming. For extra details about Gateways for Progress, go to gatewaysforgrowth.org.
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Concerning the Gateways for Progress Problem
The Gateways for Progress Problem (G4G) is a aggressive alternative for localities to obtain analysis help and technical help from the American Immigration Council and Welcoming America to enhance immigrant inclusion of their communities. Study extra at gatewaysforgrowth.org.
About Welcoming America
Welcoming America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that leads a motion of inclusive communities changing into extra affluent by guaranteeing everybody belongs. By way of the Welcoming Community, we work to alter programs and tradition by offering communities with the roadmap they should create welcoming insurance policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an surroundings the place everybody can actually thrive. Study extra at www.welcomingamerica.org.
Concerning the American Immigration Council
The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts in direction of immigrants and immigration and by working towards a extra truthful and simply immigration system that opens its doorways to these in want of safety and unleashes the power and abilities that immigrants carry. The Council brings collectively drawback solvers and employs 4 coordinated approaches to advance change—litigation, analysis, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. Comply with us on Bluesky @immcouncil.org and on Instagram @immcouncil.
