Immigrant Community Committee Update April 8, 2019

1. Immigrant Community CommitteeUpdateApril 8, 2019

2. Immigrant Community Committee Committee Charge: Listen to the immigrant community (best practices, concerns) Identify strategies and actions to improve knowledge and connection with city government services and activities

3. Community Meetings • Eight community conversations hosted between March 9 - March 30 • Seven resident engagements, one in each district, 484 attendees; one business owner engagement, 40 attendees • Meetings live streamed with language translation • Listened to community challenges • Collaboratively created community recommendations • One visit to immigration court and panel discussion with immigration attorneys • 23 attendees

4. Summary of Community’s Challenges Accessing resources • Multi-lingual communication (written/verbal) • Immigrant community awareness of available city services • Inaccessible resources; such as affordable housing Being accepted by community at-large • Ability to obtain essential identification (drive, volunteer in schools, access prescribed medicine) • Immigrant community contributions • Invisible residents Feeling Safe • Awareness and perception of CMPD practices • Fear of deportation/leaving family members behind • Experiences of discrimination when accessing municipal resources

5. Summary of Community’s Challenges Health Concerns • Unaddressed mental health needs • Limited access to low cost health care Information Reporting • Economic impact of immigrants • Diversity of City employees • Connecting diverse, new and long-term residents

6. Community Suggested actions Reduce community fears • Increase educationof CMPD policies and practices Statement of support for immigrants Improve information sharing • Language access; translation and interpretation services • Community liaisons • Cultural competency Create a legal defense fund

7. Community Suggested actions (con’t) Suggestion for other government entities: • CMS - policies for over crowding, bullying, drop out prevention, ID requirements for parents • County - Increase the amount of mental health care resources • State - community or municipal ID • Federal – immigration reform • H1B visas • Asylum seekers • Temporary Protected Status • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients

8. Phase 1: Recommendations for Immediate Action Endorse the City Manager to promote a city wide language access plan: • Improve and expand translation and interpretation services • Standardize the incentivization of multi-lingual employees Other Improvements: • Community engagement at immigrant/refugee serving organizations • Request data regarding diversity of City staff (multi-lingual and multi-cultural employees)

9. Language Access Plan Focuses On Providing meaningful access to City programs and services by through interpretation services and translated vital documents. Limited English Proficiency persons • Based on 2017 American Community Survey Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Nepali, and Gujarati speaking populations are the 5 largest in Charlotte that meet the criteria for LEP. Interpretation services and translated vital documents to residents that speak English less than “very well”

10. Phase 2: Recommended Long Term Efforts Other improvements: Utilize a racial equity tool to ensure diversity of boards and commissions Explore avenues to attract and expand recruitment of bilingual employees Explore the creation of a Charlotte Compact Evaluate effectiveness of community engagement efforts and employ best and effective practices

11. Next Step Reconvene committee to finalize policy recommendations to full council April 17th

12. Questions?