Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Houston, Texas

This initiative has been identified as a good immigrant integration practice by the NLC. Click here to find all about the other programs!

Houston, Texas is the largest city in Texas with a population of 2,024,379. Twenty-eight percent of this population is foreign-born.

In 2001, Houston established the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MOIRA) to address the city’s increasing diversity. MOIRA works to provide immigration assistance and facilitate immigrant integration. The office advises the mayor on immigration issues, provides the public with information concerning immigration, acts as the city liaison with its immigrant communities, publishes multi-lingual brochures for immigrants and refugees, and supports immigrant community based organizations in Houston.

The Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MACIRA) supports MOIRA in promoting programs, policies, and legislation that offer fair and equal access and advocate non-discrimination practices. MACIRA also helps promote cooperation, representation, and outreach among all levels of city government as well as among immigrant communities.

Past programs and outreach include:

• Citizenship Program
• Teaching Civics and Citizenship to Immigrants event
• Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
• Resource Guide for local English classes, citizenship classes, and other immigrant resources
• Monthly newsletters to inform immigrants about city services and upcoming events

For more information about the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, please contact Benito Juarez, senior community liaison, at (713)778-6503 or benito.juarez@houstontx.gov.