TOPEKA, Kan. (NewsNation) — The city of Topeka, Kansas, is encouraging recent immigrants with documentation and work paperwork to make the city their home.
Topeka has roughly 7,000 open jobs. It also has a growing and thriving Hispanic community. It’s with that in mind that the city decided to merge the two: Use that growing community as a solution to their job openings.
The city recently started doing all of its marketing in both English and Spanish.
Matt Pivarnik, CEO of Greater Topeka Partnership, told NewsNation that the city’s pitch is pretty straightforward.
“Our message right now is that (Topeka) is one of the lowest cost of living in the United States. It’s an amazing place to live. But I think the message right now is we are open and welcome to everybody who wants to come here and be happy and prosperous,” said Pivarnik.
Brad Prada, a Topeka resident who came to Kansas from Colombia, said he’s even in the process of trying to bring his parents to the city.
“Kansas is now known as having a lot of Latinos but not Topeka — (the population) is huge. There are a lot of Latinos here, it makes it easier. If I feel homesick or something, I just walk around and you just feel like home,” Prada said.
Topeka officials told NewsNation that while they’re encouraging documented immigrants to make a home in Topeka, it’s not a sanctuary city. Officials say the city does not have the infrastructure or support to assist newly arrived migrants who do not have legal documentation.