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Labor department stands up Office of Citizenship Assistance; space and procedures underway
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Summary
Department officials said the Office of Citizenship Assistance has a staffed lead program coordinator and an in-progress physical build-out; the office will provide employment guidance to asylees and others seeking legal immigration status and will operate under written procedures developed with legal counsel.
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development told the House Finance subcommittee that it has established an Office of Citizenship Assistance and is finishing physical space and staffing preparations.
Dan DiBartolo said the office’s first-floor build-out required permits, walls and electrical work and took four to five months. He told the committee the office has hired a lead program coordinator and has promising applicants for two supporting positions.
DiBartolo said the office will provide employment guidance to asylees and those seeking legal immigration status, and the department is consulting with legal staff to clarify the line between state services and federal immigration responsibilities. “We are standing up an office for the first time; procedures need to be written,” DiBartolo said.
Why it matters: The office was funded by the Legislature in the prior year and will be the department’s first dedicated unit for employment assistance to noncitizen newcomers. The department said it is building a knowledge base and referral network to guide clients appropriately.
Ending: The department said the office will operate on a deliberate timeline while it finalizes procedures and staffing, and it will report further implementation details to the subcommittee.
