Philadelphia ranks among ten best U.S. cities for 'immigration integration'

In a recent study on how well immigrants are integrated into American cities, Philadelphia placed in the top 10.

Newark, N.J., Baltimore, and New York — the top three cities on the index — surpassed Philadelphia, which ranked sixth. Chula Vista, C.A. and San Francisco were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. 

The study, conducted by the bipartisan research and advocacy organization New American Economy, set out to investigate how well immigrants – both documented and undocumented – are being integrated into American society and the role cities play in this process.

The published study indicated that the rankings were compiled “by measuring local policies and socioeconomic outcomes across the 100 largest cities in the United States.” The cities were assessed based on 51 specific factors, including language access policies, health insurance rates, and labor force participation.

Philadelphia received a high overall score of 3.85 out of 5, “owing in part to perfect marks in the government leadership and economic empowerment categories,” the study read. “Rising incomes and a decline in the poverty rate would serve to improve Philly's already solid showing.”

Newark received a 4.03, Baltimore received a 4.00, and New York received a 3.93. The lowest ranked city on the list was Raleigh, N.C., with a score of 1.08.

Philadelphia's foreign-born population grew 69 percent between 2000 and 2016, and immigrants now make up almost 15 percent of the city's population, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. 

The ways in which Penn, Philadelphia's largest private employer, plays a role in the current immigration debate were recently called into question at a Penn Law in April event titled “Immigration Town Hall: The Role of the University in Responding to and Shaping Immigration Law and Policy.” 

The panel at the event, moderated by 1993 Penn Law graduate and immigration lawyer John Grogan, featured discussion related to Trump’s immigration policy and Penn’s role in Philadelphia's immigrant community.

Miriam Enriquez, the executive director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Office for Immigrant Affairs, spoke about how Penn could be doing more to engage with the city’s immigrants.

“[Penn is] definitely a good neighbor to the city of Philadelphia, but to say that they are a good neighbor to the immigrant community is a hard question.”