Round 6 of the challenge will support local communities in welcoming immigrants
Washington, DC and Decatur, Georgia, December 15, 2025 — The U.S. Council on Immigration (The Council) and Welcoming America, two national nonprofit organizations, are pleased to announce that more than 10 communities have been selected as recipients of the Gateway to Growth Challenge (G4G) award as part of the initiative’s sixth round. Winners will receive a combination of customized research, technical assistance, and planning assistance to develop strategies to ensure that all residents, including immigrants, can succeed and fully contribute to their communities.
The 2026 award winners span both urban and rural communities in 10 states and represent a wide range of welcoming efforts across the country led by local governments, nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, and community coalitions. These communities include:
Arlington County, Virginia Charlotte, North Carolina Durham County, North Carolina Fort Bend County, Texas Johnson County, Kansas Lancaster, Pennsylvania Las Cruces, New Mexico Mahoning County, Ohio St. Louis, Missouri Wabash County, Indiana
“For nearly a decade, the Doors to Growth Challenge has helped communities quantify the impact of their immigrant populations and invest in welcoming policies and programs. We are excited to work with a new population that creates opportunities for all residents,” said Rich Andre, director of state and local initiatives at the American Immigration Council.
“This collective represents the local leaders who go to work every day to make their communities places where everyone can participate and thrive,” said Molly Hilligoss, senior network director at Welcoming America. “We are proud to support them as they put their welcoming values into action.”
Since 2016, G4G has supported more than 75 regions in 37 states. Participating communities developed welcoming plans that address language access, workforce development, civic engagement, and social cohesion. Many have passed welcoming resolutions, launched new programs, joined broader welcoming networks, and earned certified welcoming status, a national recognition for communities that meet standards of inclusivity and welcoming. For more information about Gateways for Growth, visit gatewaysforgrowth.org.
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About the Gateways for Growth Challenge
The Gateways for Growth Challenge (G4G) is a competitive opportunity for local governments to receive research and technical assistance from the U.S. Immigration Council and Welcoming America to improve the acceptance of immigrants into their communities. For more information, visit gatewaysforgrowth.org.
About welcoming America
Welcome America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization leading the movement for inclusive communities that are enriched by ensuring that everyone belongs. Through the Welcome Network, we are working to transform systems and cultures by giving communities the roadmap they need to develop welcoming policies and share new approaches to creating environments where everyone can truly thrive. For more information, please visit www.welcomingamerica.org.
About the American Immigration Council
The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks and acts about immigrants and immigrants, working toward a fairer and more just immigration system that opens doors to people in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers to drive change through four coordinated approaches: litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. Follow us on Bluesky @immcouncil.org and on Instagram @immcouncil.
