Inform. Engage. Impact.
Welcome To New Americans Initiative
Committed to assisting Kentuckiana’s immigrant population through the naturalization process and informing the community on current issues in immigration.

WHO WE ARE
We are a non-profit organization founded in 2015 by Nima Kulkarni, an immigration attorney in Louisville, Kentucky, whose own family immigrated to the United States when she was young.
Kentucky’s Immigrant Population
- In 2015, there were 157,336 immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 3.6 percent of the state’s population (68,802 women, 70,300 men, and 18,234 children).
- In 2016, 115,969 people in Kentucky (2.7 percent of the state’s population) were native-born Americans who had at least one immigrant parent.
Top Countries of Origin
- Mexico (19.2 percent of immigrants); India (6.9 percent); Cuba (5.1 percent); China (4.5 percent); and Guatemala (3.7 percent).
Taxes Paid by Immigrants to Kentucky
- Immigrant-led households paid $719.3 million in federal taxes and $343.1 million in state and local taxes in 2014.
- Undocumented immigrants paid an estimated $36.6 million in state and local taxes in 2014 (this would rise to $52.7 million if they could receive legal status).
- DACA recipients paid an estimated $9.1 million in state and local taxes in 2016.
Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Kentucky
- 8,690 immigrant business owners accounted for 4.6 percent of all self-employed Kentucky residents in 2015 and generated $283.5 million in business income.

“I serve the community because I want to help people. I have been very fortunate in the opportunities that have been given to me and want to share that with others. I am devoted to immigrants and immigrants’ rights and feel that they should be involved and engaged members of our community and that we should all benefit and learn from each other. I strive to achieve that goal as often as I can.”
Nima Kulkarni, Founder and President of New Americans Initiative
Immigration News
Immigrant Rights Group Turns Down $250,000 From Tech Firm Over Ties To Border Patrol
July 19, 2018Indianapolis church puts holy family in ‘ICE detention’ in bold statement about immigration policy
July 4, 2018FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ARBITRARY DETENTION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS
July 3, 2018Nationwide Immigration Rallies Send A Strong Message: All Families Belong Together
July 2, 2018Immigration rally splits as group calls out Fischer over ‘sanctuary city’ policy
June 30, 2018Supreme Court upholds President Trump’s travel ban against majority-Muslim countries
June 26, 2018Opinion analysis: Divided court upholds Trump travel ban (Updated)
June 26, 2018Judge bars separation of immigrants from children, orders reunification
June 26, 2018READ MORE