As the Alaska Legislature continues to debate the coming year’s operating budget, some lawmakers are proposing yet another layer of government. It’s a so-called “Welcoming Alaska Office” that would be aimed at supporting newcomers, including foreign-born workers and immigrants.
But with the state barely able to afford its existing commitments, some Alaskans will question the timing and necessity of such an expansion, especially because the concept of “welcoming cities” and “welcoming states” has been used as a “Sanctuary State Light” label, meaning that it offers services to illegal immigrants but does not directly fight immigration enforcement by the federal government.
The welcoming office would “provide to new immigrants and newcomers employment information, referrals to employment services, including job placement services, and information about how to use labor unions, administrative agencies, and court actions to pursue claims or charges of job discrimination, illegal termination of employment, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions” and more.
The legislation was introduced last week by Rep. Genevieve Mina and Sen. Loki Tobin, both Democrats from Anchorage. House Bill 188 and Senate Bill 169 would establish the Welcoming Alaska Office inside the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. An executive director appointed by the governor would lead the office, with guidance from a nine-member advisory council.
At its core, the office would coordinate services for people relocating to Alaska including immigrants, refugees, and individuals moving from other states or countries, and help them apply for public benefits. It would pave the way for what the two lawmakers envision would happen next: the creation of an Alaska Welcoming Center, complete with staff to act as a centralized hub for support services, union organizing, and entitlements.
The proposed Welcoming Office would replace the Office of Citizenship Assistance, a defunct program that was revived only recently, nearly 20 years after it was first authorized. Now, instead of a modest restart, the legislation seeks to blow it up into a full-blown agency with sweeping responsibilities and long-term financial implications, which are still not yet known.