Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is proposing the elimination of the county’s Office of New Americans, an agency she once helped establish to support permanent visa holders on their path to U.S. citizenship.
That’s according to budget documents obtained by the Miami Herald through a public-records request.
In the 2015-2019 period, Miami-Dade County in Florida was home to 864,800 Caribbean immigrants, the highest share among all U.S. counties, underlining the broader impact of the proposed cuts on Caribbean Americans.
The proposal comes as Miami-Dade faces a projected $402 million deficit in its $3.6 billion general fund budget, which covers key services like policing, jails, parks, and other departments funded primarily through property taxes. To close the gap, Levine Cava is preparing a 2026 spending plan that includes cuts, layoffs, and potential fee hikes, the Herald reports.
The Office of New Americans was created during Levine Cava’s time as a county commissioner and later made a standalone division under the Community Action and Human Services Department after she became mayor in 2020. The office is currently staffed by four people — the same number as in 2022 — and assists legal immigrants with services including legal guidance, citizenship referrals, and support for visa holders who aren’t on a citizenship track. This year alone, staff are expected to handle about 2,400 service requests.
However, the office is now on the chopping block as part of a broader restructuring of the county’s social services. Community Action is set to merge with the Juvenile Services Department to form a new Community Services Department.
The Miami Herald reports that Levine Cava is also proposing to cut or defund several other initiatives she championed, including:
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The Office of Innovation and Economic Development, a 17-person team focused on business growth and green jobs, including the county film office.
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37 filled positions within the Parks Department, which currently employs around 2,300 staff.
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The Office of Neighborhood Safety, created to address gun violence through community outreach and crime reduction strategies.
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The Mom and Pop small business grant program, which costs the county about $1 million annually.
Budget documents do not specify how much the county would save by cutting the Office of New Americans, nor whether any of its functions might be absorbed into other departments.
In a statement last week, Levine Cava acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions being made. “We have made difficult choices,” she said. “We’ve looked across departments to maximize the value of every taxpayer dollar. … Next week we will propose a budget that continues to deliver on the core services that residents need and deserve.”
The full details of the 2026 budget are expected to be released this week, with final votes scheduled for September.
