New Jersey Governor Creates New Office to Help Immigrants and Takes Back Control of Refugee Resettlement

Gov. Phil Murphy marked the Fourth of July holiday by announcing two new initiatives to assist immigrants settling in New Jersey.

The Democratic governor says New Jersey will once again take the lead role in overseeing the resettlement of refugees in the state, which his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie, had relinquished in 2016.

Murphy also signed an executive order directing the state Department of Human Services and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development to work together on immigrant and refugee integration programs and to create a new Office of New Americans to provide assistance to them.

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The planned Office of New Americans would be the first statewide office and would focus on assisting immigrants and ensuring they have access to social services and jobs, the governor said.

“New Jersey is and always will be a welcoming state — no matter the rhetoric or attempts to divide us coming from Washington,” said New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson. “The Murphy administration is committed to welcoming new Americans as our neighbors, colleagues and friends, and New Jersey Human Services stands ready to help all new New Jerseyans make our state a more vibrant and prosperous place to live.”