Immigrants live in local communities, places where people interact on a daily basis, children attend school, local governments provide essential services, and community groups address neighborhood concerns. Within their scope of authority, local governments can play an important and creative role in integrating immigrants and refugees into local communities. Local political and civic leadership is crucial to achieving community cohesion and realizing the benefits of immigration to the entire community. Throughout the country, many localities are showing the way through innovative projects and approaches. Some communities have established special offices to deal with immigration-related challenges. Others have banded together to provide mutual support and to spread the "welcoming" philosophy to other communities. This collection contains information about how local governments are tapping into immigration as a vital resource for community betterment and developing ways to assess the effectiveness of their efforts.

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