Utah

Demographics

Arrivals

*Data source: Public Health Indicator-Based Information System for Utah.

**Immigrants comprise 8.4% total population in UT.

Diversity Contributions

*Data source: Refugee Processing Center: Admissions and Arrivals

Top Newcomer Languages

Arabic
Somali
Nepali
Spanish
Swahili
Burmese

*Refugee & Immigration Center

77.2%

Speak Host Country's Language

*Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in UT

Economic Contributions

$1.3B

Total Immigrant Federal Taxes paid

$605.3M

Total Immigrant State & Local Taxes paid

*Data Source New American Economy

$7.6B

Immigrant Household Income

$5.7B

Total Spending Power

16,703

Total # Immigrant Entrepreneurs

*38,699 people are employed by UT self-employed immigrant firms

Top 3 Fields of Labor*

Building, Grounds, Cleaning & Maintenance

27.4%

Farming, Fishing, & Forestry

25.9%

Construction & Extraction

22.2%

*Top % share of the immigrant labor force in Utah. Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in Utah.

Socio-Familial Stability

Unaccompanied Children Released to Sponsors by the State

*Data source: Office of Refugee Resettlement

Interested parties can apply to provide Refugee Foster Care through Catholic Community Services.

# of Immigrant (refugee & asylee) Family Reunifications

28
Visa-93* reunifications

*Visa-93s are awarded based on a petition a refugee or asylee seeker submits to have their family from overseas join them in the USA.
**Data source: State of Utah, Dept of Health

Community & Educational Contributions

Immigrant Educational Attainment

24.1%
Less than High School
48.7%
High School & Some College
17.4%
Bachelor's Degree
9.8%
Graduate Degree

*Data source: New American Economy: Immigrants in Utah

39.1%

Naturalized Citizens

Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in Utah

Local Refugee Heroes

Revitalized Communities

Rose Park

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Leonard was kidnapped as a child and forced into the military. He eventually escaped. From child spy to refugee to refugee hero, his journey is captured in this mini-documentary directed by Luke McLean and produced by TSOS: "Leonard Bagalwa: This Is My Story." TSOS is proud to partner with Utah County Refugee Connection, Mr. Bagalwa's non-profit organization that seeks to empower refugees in their journeys to self-reliance.

January 31, 2023

Uniting for Ukraine: U.S. Sponsors Needed

Just as citizens in Europe and the U.K. have heroically supported displaced Ukrainians by opening up their homes or securing other housing, assisting with school enrollments, employment needs, and language learning, Americans now have the opportunity via the Welcome.us Sponsor Circles program to directly help newly arrived Ukrainians. The United States has committed to welcoming 100,000 Ukrainians temporarily for a period of two-years and the ability to apply for employment authorization in the U.S. as long as they have a U.S.-based sponsor to petition for them.

More blog posts

Partners

[email protected]

Volunteers

Shurooq Al Jewari

Community Program Coordinator, Utah

Shurooq Al Jewari is a refugee from Iraq and has lived in Utah for nine years. She is currently a student at the University of Utah. One of Shurooq’s goals is to help new refugees have a better experience than what she had and to raise awareness about the importance of mental health in the refugee community.

Shamsdeen Ali

Community Liaison - Utah

Shamsdeen Ali is a pre-med student at Salt Lake Community College. Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, Shams moved to the U.S. as a refugee in 2008 and is excited to impact change within the community by listening to and sharing others' stories.

Mikaela Cook

Consent Manager, Community Liaison, Utah

Mikaela is honored to be part of the TSOS team. As a student at Brigham Young University Law School, Mikaela is committed to using her legal education to help refugees and immigrants. She strives to be an active member of her law school community by serving on a variety of clubs and working as a teaching assistant, research assistant, and student advisor. Before coming to law school, Mikaela received her bachelor’s degree in business management from Brigham Young University and had the opportunity to intern with U.S. Senator Mike Lee in Washington D.C. She also performed as a ballerina on BYU’s top performing ballet company, Theatre Ballet. After graduation and before beginning law school, Mikaela worked at KSL-TV as a producer and reporter for the lifestyle program, Studio 5 with Brooke Walker. While at KSL-TV, Mikaela did a highlight piece on TSOS and has since become an enthusiastic member of the TSOS team.