DETROIT — The city of Detroit has recently announced that it is in the development phase of opening up its very own Immigration Affairs Office with the collaboration of New Michigan Media sometime this year. The announcement seems appropriate after many have noted a strong continued trend of Immigration growth not just in Detroit, but in the State of Michigan overall. 

Under the administration of Mayor Bing, who is interested in embracing Immigration as part of a Key strategy for Detroit’s revitalization, the project has recently gained major ground thanks to the contribution of Professor Hayg Oshagan, a Communications professor at Wayne State University and the Director of the New Michigan Media, a network of Ethnic and Minority Media across the state of Michigan.

Under the administration of Mayor Bing, who is interested in embracing Immigration as part of a key strategy for Detroit’s revitalization, the project has recently gained major ground thanks to the contribution of Professor Hayg Oshagan, a Communications professor at Wayne State University and the Director of the New Michigan Media, a network of Ethnic and Minority Media across the state of Michigan.

“The aim of the Immigrant Affairs Initiative is to encourage access for all Detroiters to the full benefits, opportunities and services that are provided by the city,” said a press release out of the Mayor’s office. Another major goal for the project will be “to foster an environment that reflects the equal treatment and participation of all segments of Detroit’s diverse, culturally-rich communities in civic, economic, educational, and social development.”

Oshagan says that he, along with New Michigan Media havebeen working with the Mayor’s office to get this project moving for the past few months. More details are expected to be released about the project soon.

“For this initiative itself, the mayor will be having a press conference to announce the details sometime next month,” Oshagan stated. 

Some might call the city’s recent actions in developing this project long overdue. While the 2010 census has shown an overall population loss in both Michigan and the Detroit area, southeast Michigan has become the home to 365,000 foreign born residents (8.4 percent of the regional population).  That number makes it the second largest foreign born population in the Great Lakes region.

Another striking fact about Immigrants in Michigan; There are over 23,000 foreign students in the state, making it the second highest number in the Midwest region, only behind the Chicago area. The only two other states that top Michigan in the entire country are California and New York.  But according to Oshagan, the immigrants in Michigan contribute more largely to the economy than they do in other states, due to Michigan’s overall smaller population.  

“No matter how you look at it, immigrants have contributed greatly to the Michigan Economy,” Oshagan added. “Michigan officials have taken notice and are finally finding ways to contribute to immigration.”

While Michigan’s economy has been dwindling over the last several years, research has shown that Immigrants are more likely to start up a business in Michigan than Native born residents. Michigan ranks seventh in the entire nation when looking at the gross number of new immigrant business owners. 

Analysts expect Michigan to further move up in rankings as far as immigrant contribution goes, even though the State overall has fallen in economical gross since 2006 (It ranked at No. 13 in 2010, compared to being No. 9 in 2005).

Some facts Oshagan noted; The Arab population contributes about $600 million a year in taxes to the state and that there are about 10,000 Asian owned businesses in Michigan alone. He also talks about the impact of the Latino contribution to the city of Detroit.

“The Latino section itself is about a $250 million investment,” Oshagan stated, citing Mexican Town in Southwest Detroit.  

Among the foreign born population in southeast Michigan, it includes the world’s largest population of Middle Easterners, Albanians and Macedonians outside of their home regions. 

Once the project folds through, Detroit will not be the first city that opens up its own Immigration Affairs office. As the population of immigrants in American cities continues to grow, offices in New York City, Boston and Philadelphia have already opened within the last couple of years.  

As an effort to further the project in Detroit, the Mayor’s office along with the Alliance of Michigan Rights, will be holding an event on Monday, February 13 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Wayne State University Law School building located on 471 West Palmer Street in Detroit. Key leaders have been invited to address their concerns on issues regarding immigrant communities.