Today, it was my pleasure to welcome Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to our national office.
The LIRS headquarters is where we work every day to protect and welcome thousands of refugees and immigrants. The mayor visited our offices, talked to LIRS staff, and learned more about our work and the work of our sister organizations.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was sworn in as Baltimore’s 49th mayor in February 2010. She has focused her administration on growing Baltimore’s population by 10,000 families over the next decade by improving public safety and public education and by strengthening city neighborhoods.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake has also worked to make Baltimore a welcoming city for immigrants. She signed a landmark executive order to protect New Americans from discrimination and increase access to public safety resources and city services for foreign-born city residents.
In addition, she fought for a successful state-wide ballot initiative version of the DREAM Act, to provide in-state tuition rates and higher education opportunities for undocumented immigrant students that attended Maryland high schools.
Beyond those important steps, Mayor Rawlings-Blake has appointed a mayoral task force, chaired by LIRS’ Mike Mitchell, to develop strategies that deepen Baltimore’s hospitality to newcomers and encourage more immigrants to make this city their home.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake serves in key leadership positions in the Democratic National Committee and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, she is an attorney who has practiced as a public defender, but most importantly – she loves this city that has been her home, she is proud of its neighborhoods, and she is passionate about Baltimore’s future. We were honored to host her today, and we appreciate the mayor’s office and all our Charm City partners in the long-term effort to Stand for Welcome.