Governor Matt Meyer announced the launch of the Delaware Office of New Americans on Monday, November 3. Housed within the Department of State, this office will provide dedicated support to the immigrant community, offering citizenship assistance, coordinating with partner organizations, and ensuring that our newest neighbors have access to language support, workforce development, and civic-engagement resources. The office will be led by Milford-native Rony Baltazar-Lopez.
Rony Baltazar’s parents left their home countries 25 years ago in search of a better life. They arrived here in Delaware, met and had him about a year later. Both of his parents came here with less than a high school education and worked blue-collar jobs. His mother grew up in Mexico, his father in Guatemala.
“As an only child for 11 years, my parents were very strict with me as they wanted the best for me,” Rony wrote on his Facebook page not long before taking a position with U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “My father made me participate in soccer, band and martial arts at an early age to keep me busy because he thought being involved would keep me away from the streets.”
Baltazar-Lopez said his mother insisted he speak their native language and hired a tutor to teach him how to converse, write and speak the Spanish language. The opening of the new office was applauded by legislators.
“As the first state in the nation, Delaware has a unique promise to uphold, not only to the people who reside in it today, but to those who helped build it: immigrants. Today, nearly 12% of Delaware’s population is immigrants. If we fail to stand alongside them, we shouldn’t dare call ourselves a state of neighbors,” Rep. Josue Ortega said. “As Delaware’s first Puerto Rican state representative, I know firsthand how resilient our communities are—and how many Delawareans will benefit from having a dedicated resource like this. I’m grateful for the leadership of Sen. Darius Brown on this issue, and I’m proud to stand alongside Governor Meyer as he launches this statewide initiative to continue to protect the livelihoods of all immigrants. Delawareans of all creeds deserve a safe state to live, work, and raise a family in, regardless of where they were born.”
Others pointed out that immigrants are what makes the country strong.
“Immigrants make our community beautiful and strong,” Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton said. “Here in the 26th district, we have new Delawareans who come from all over the world. I’m excited that this new office will help them and their families to live successful lives in our community here and across the state. Thank you to Governor Meyer for prioritizing this important initiative.”
As the inaugural director, Baltazar-Lopez will bring both lived experiences and policy insights to the role of Director of the Office of New Americans. His first day as Director was Monday, November 3, 2025.
Nearly half of all U.S. states have an Office of New Americans or a similar entity that assists those entering the country. The Office will soon host a statewide listening tour to understand the needs of Delaware’s immigrant community, as well as organizations that currently support them. The Office will also work in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Assistance, which helps immigrants with citizenship assistance.
In Delaware, about 11.5 percent of the population, nearly 118,000 Delawareans, are immigrants. About 79,000 of them are in Delaware’s workforce, including about 6,900 who are entrepreneurs. Immigrants contribute $1.4 billion to Delaware’s economy annually.
With the launch of the Office of New Americans, Delaware commits to ensuring that all residents—regardless of country of origin—are empowered to fully participate, contribute, and thrive as neighbors, workers, business owners, and community members.
Baltazar-Lopez, most recently served as the Director of Policy and Communications for the Delaware Department of State. He was appointed to the Delaware Hispanic Commission by Governor John Carney in 2020 and was elected as Vice Chair in 2021. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Commission.
Before joining the Delaware Department of State, he worked as a communications staffer for the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. He began his civil career in 2017 when he worked in Washington, D.C., in the United States Senate as a legislative staffer for then U.S. Senator Tom Carper, where he assisted with a portfolio focused on immigration, homeland security, and foreign affairs.
Baltazar-Lopez serves on numerous other boards, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Delaware, Delaware Center for Inland Bays, the City of Milford’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Educational Equity Council. He currently serves as the board president for La Red Health Center, a federally qualified health center in Sussex County. From 2019 through 2022, he also served on the Milford School Board of Education, including two years as vice president.
Baltazar-Lopez holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Delaware. A few years ago, Baltazar-Lopez stated that he excelled in his classes at Milford High School, but he knew his family could not afford expensive out-of-state schools. He said he didn’t have anyone to guide him with college applications or explain financial aid, so he elected to attend the University of Delaware Associate in Arts program at Del-Tech. After two years, he began attending classes at the main campus of the university.
“I didn’t have a normal college experience,” Baltazar-Lopez said in the earlier interview. “I worked, volunteered and interned all while commuting an hour to go to school every day because I did not want to place another financial burden on my family.” When he was 11, his brother, Steven, was born and when he was 13, his brother, Omar, arrived. Baltazar-Lopez said that his brothers look at him as a role model and he tries to attend as many of their soccer practices, as well as their games and band concerts as he can. Working and attending school while living at home was difficult, but he after he graduated debt-free, he knew that all his sacrifices were worth it.
After graduation, Baltazar-Lopez joined the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Delaware as a Hispanic Programs Coordinator for the state. He educated, supported and advocated for people who live with a severe mental illness and, in his role, helped expand what NAMI Delaware offers to those who cannot speak the English language and who are, most often, immigrants. A former colleague told him about a position in Senator Tom Carper’s office and convinced him to interview. Rony said that policy and legislation were part of the field he studied as a student at the University of Delaware, he decided to leave NAMI and apply for the position in the Senator’s office.
“My advice for students today who want to go to college is to look for scholarships during high school and to complete the FAFSA,” Baltazar-Lopez said. “Regardless of income or financial situation, students who choose to go to the University of Delaware who reside in Delaware get a grant to attend. Work while you are in school. Take advantage of the SEED program. Many students don’t apply for SEED because they don’t want to go to Del-Tech, but if you apply to the UD Associate of Arts program, you are a UD student who attends Del-Tech. Find books and materials online. One lesson I learned is that you don’t want to spend hundreds on books that you may not need. I rented books or bought them through Amazon, CHEGG or bookrental.”
Baltazar-Lopez says he is not the most experienced or most intelligent, but his passion for helping others has gotten him far. His parents not only didn’t graduate from college, they never finished high school, so being the first one to shatter that glass ceiling was difficult. He had no guidance, but he managed on his own and he succeeded.
“I am the product of all the efforts, trusts and investments of my educators, employers, family and friends,” Baltazar-Lopez said. “Most importantly, I am the product of the vast efforts and sacrifices that my parents have made. They can now proudly say that their oldest son works for a United States Senator in Washington, DC.”
