By Jill Replogle
A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found efforts to integrate immigrants into this country lacked coordination and direction from the federal government.
The GAO interviewed leaders promoting citizenship awareness and civic integration across the country. They found a unanimous call for a national immigrant integration strategy, or, at least, federal coordination of integration efforts.
Currently, services designed to help immigrants assimilate are haphazard and sometimes conflict with local policies aimed at restricting immigrants, the GAO found. They often seem to target only refugees, who receive cash and medical assistance, help with job training, and access to English classes.