There’s a new report from the Data Center on New Orleans 10 years after Hurricane Katrina.
This one focuses on new Latino immigrants who arrived to work in the area, nearly doubling the number of Latino residents in the region.
Report co-author Lucas Diaz of Tulane University says the city needs policies to help the new residents feel welcome.
He says those policies should include having bilingual services.
“New Orleans really is truly an internationally welcoming city and so, as such, we’re going to be intentional and proactive about making sure that our immigrant folks, whether they’re here with proper documentation or not are welcome and we demonstrate that through our policies and our practices," Diaz said. "I think it’s an opportunity to turn this thing around in regards to that community, which for so long has felt like a slighted community.”
Diaz says police should focus on helping those residents, and letting federal authorities handle citizenship issues.
