In addition, Silicon Valley is home to a large number of refugees from the top five countries from which refugees come to the United States. These refugees are admitted to the United States because of persecution on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Refugees who are resettled in our region primarily came from Bosnia/Herzegovina, the former Soviet Union, Vietnam, Somalia and Iran.
The influx of immigrants into our region’s 57 cities and towns (including unincorporated areas), coupled with higher birth rates among Latinos and Asians, will increase the challenges and opportunities for immigrant integration.
One challenge to immigrant integration is related to the inadequate legal support services infrastructure for both documented and undocumented immigrants. Although in Silicon Valley some immigrants are high-skilled workers who can afford attorney fees and legal services, there is a critical need to provide disadvantaged, low-income immigrants and refugees assistance with routine and complex immigration and citizenship cases.
The legal services infrastructure in the region has developed significantly since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the nation’s last legalization program. However, this infrastructure faces daunting challenges in trying to accommodate an overwhelming workload despite limited resources. A 2007 survey by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees of 64 legal service providers in Northern California revealed that these agencies are providing services to 8,000 individuals, barely 10 percent of all individuals eligible for immigration status adjustment. For future legalization reforms to succeed, legal services agencies will need to expand their services three- or four-fold.