Legislators Show Support for Baltazar-Lopez to Lead Delaware’s Office of New Americans

WILMINGTON - Legislators are applauding the selection of Rony Baltazar-Lopez, former Director of Policy and Communications at the Department of State, as inaugural director of the Office of New Americans.

Legislation to create the office was first introduced in 2023 by Sen. Darius Brown and Reps. Kendra Johnson and Madinah Wilson-Anton. Legislation was filed again this year by Sen. Brown and Reps. Josue Ortega and Wilson-Anton.

"The economic vitality of our state is, in large part, due to the excellence and enormity of our immigrant community. From fintech to the biosciences, and from agriculture to medicine, and beyond - Delaware's most cutting-edge industries are sustained by the opportunity for career advancement that workers can find here across our state," Senator Darius Brown said. "As the longtime legislative champion for the Office of New Americans, I believe that Rony Baltazar-Lopez is the right choice to lead this effort and will work to make our vision for this office a reality. Delaware's Office of New Americans reaffirms our commitment to working people - here, and around the world - that opportunity lives here in the First State."

"As the first state in the nation, Delaware has a unique promise to uphold, not only to the people who reside in it today, but to those who helped build it: immigrants. Today, nearly 12% of Delaware's population is immigrants. If we fail to stand alongside them, we shouldn't dare call ourselves a state of neighbors," Rep. Josue Ortega said. "As Delaware's first Puerto Rican state representative, I know firsthand how resilient our communities are-and how many Delawareans will benefit from having a dedicated resource like this. I'm grateful for the leadership of Sen. Darius Brown on this issue, and I'm proud to stand alongside Governor Meyer as he launches this statewide initiative to continue to protect the livelihoods of all immigrants. Delawareans of all creeds deserve a safe state to live, work, and raise a family in, regardless of where they were born."

"Immigrants make our community beautiful and strong," Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton said. "Here in the 26th district, we have new Delawareans who come from all over the world. I'm excited that this new office will help them and their families to live successful lives in our community here and across the state. Thank you to Governor Meyer for prioritizing this important initiative."

Governor Matt Meyer announced the launch of the Delaware Office of New Americans on Monday, November 3. Housed within the Department of State, this office will provide dedicated support to the immigrant community, offering citizenship assistance, coordinating with partner organizations, and ensuring that our newest neighbors have access to language support, workforce development, and civic-engagement resources.

The inaugural director, Rony Baltazar-Lopez, will bring both lived experiences and policy insights to the role of Director of the Office of New Americans. His first day as Director was Monday, November 3, 2025.

Nearly half of all U.S. states have an Office of New Americans or a similar entity that assists new Americans. The Office will soon host a statewide listening tour to understand the needs of Delaware's immigrant community, as well as organizations that currently support them. The Office will also work in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Assistance, which helps immigrants with citizenship assistance.

In Delaware, about 11.5 percent of the population, nearly 118,000 Delawareans, are immigrants. About 79,000 of them are in Delaware's workforce, including about 6,900 who are entrepreneurs. Immigrants contribute $1.4 billion to Delaware's economy annually.

With the launch of the Office of New Americans, Delaware commits to ensuring that all residents-regardless of country of origin-are empowered to fully participate, contribute, and thrive as neighbors, workers, business owners, and community members.

ABOUT RONY BALTAZAR-LOPEZ
Director of the Office of New Americans, Rony Baltazar-Lopez, most recently served as the Director of Policy and Communications for the Delaware Department of State for the past 5 years. Rony was appointed to the Delaware Hispanic Commission by Governor John Carney in 2020 and was elected as Vice Chair in 2021. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Commission.

Before joining the Delaware Department of State, he worked as a communications staffer for the Delaware Attorney General's Office. He began his civil career in 2017 when he worked in Washington, D.C., in the United States Senate as a legislative staffer for then U.S. Senator Tom Carper, where he assisted with a portfolio focused on immigration, homeland security, and foreign affairs.

Baltazar-Lopez serves on numerous other boards, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Delaware, Delaware Center for Inland Bays, the City of Milford's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Educational Equity Council. He currently serves as the board president for La Red Health Center, a federally qualified health center in Sussex County. From 2019 through 2022, he also served on the Milford School Board of Education, including two years as vice president.

A native of Milford, Delaware, Rony holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Delaware.

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