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By Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

25% of our population: In Somerville, 25% of our population is made up of immigrant residents. Among that group are people of a variety of different immigration statuses – some are naturalized citizens, some have green cards, some have a work or student visa, some were granted temporary protective status (TPS) or asylum, some are “Dreamers” – people who were brought to America as children, and some, who are not counted in that stat, are here without authorization.  Some have been here for decades and others are newcomers. Other residents, like myself, are first generation Americans born to parents who, like so many immigrants, came here for a better life and to contribute to our country.  America is proud of its melting pot heritage, and Somerville is an example of the best of that.

49% of students didn’t speak English as their first language: Nearly half of Somerville public school students did not speak English as their first language. Growing up, I was one of those kids; we spoke Italian at home. Now more than 50 languages are spoken in Somerville schools and many of our students are multilingual. And that’s pretty impressive. We have young kids who are fluent in more than one language and know how to switch between them as the situation warrants.

Hundreds or thousands of dollars: Making your way through our country’s immigration system is expensive. If you are building a life in America, it’s understandable that you would want to secure a more stable or permanent immigration status, but the process could be cost prohibitive. Here are some examples of the costs immigrants bear: There is a $465 fee to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and then another $465 has to be paid every two years to renew. Someone seeking asylum is likely to pay $5,000 to $6,000 just in attorney fees.

37% have lawyers: Less than 40% of immigrants appearing in court have legal representation. Because immigration issues are civil matters, lawyers are not provided by the court. For many people trying to do the right thing and go through the immigration system, those fees are just too expensive.

5 times more likely to succeed: Many immigrants have a valid legal claim to stay here. But we also know that without access to legal counsel, most will fail to make a successful case in immigration court or to immigration officers. The data show that immigrants who have a lawyer have a five times higher chance of succeeding in court. That’s why the cities of Somerville and Cambridge have partnered with the Cambridge Community Foundation to establish the United Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants. This donation-backed fund will provide grants to local non-profits that provide legal aid to immigrants.

81% support a path to citizenship: A recent Gallup poll found that 81% of Americans support a path to citizenship for people without legal status. You’d also be hard pressed to find people who want to deny immigrants with TPS, DACA, or a visa, who have built lives and families here, the opportunity to secure a more stable immigration status. If you want to learn more about the United Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants or how to donate, visit www.somervillema.gov/ImmigrantDefenseFund.

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently, as well as interesting updates. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at www.somervillema.gov/datafarm.