GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) has several important updates to share about our legal services program for immigrant children who have been separated from their families or are present in the U.S. without a legal guardian -- also known as unaccompanied children. ( English | Español )
Everyone in our communities is essential, and our well-being is profoundly interconnected. That’s the reality the COVID-19 public health crisis has made plain. ... Read full article from Michigan Advance column.
Today, the Texas Civil Rights Project released a new report, The Real National Emergency: Zero Tolerance & the Continuing Horrors of Family Separation at the Border, showing how family separations have continued at the Southwest border.
As of December 6, 2018, 32 states plus the District of Colombia and Puerto Rico, have legalized medical marijuana. Ten states, including Michigan, have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, too.
People who are not U.S. citizens may believe that using marijuana in Michigan—whether for recreational or medical use—is permissible and will not affect their immigration status. Unfortunately, that is wrong!! It is still a federal offense to possess marijuana even if, under state law, it is legal for medical or recreational purposes.
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is pleased to release its report on immigration legal needs in Southeast Michigan. The report was compiled using data from interviews and evaluations with frontline legal service providers across Southeast Michigan between May and June 2018. Funding for this report, along with an array of comprehensive legal services focused on Southeast Michigan, comes from The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and The Kresge Foundation.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Alyson Robbins
arobbins@lsscm.org, 734.794.9563
DETROIT, MI (June 14, 2018) – The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) recently received funding from The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and The Kresge Foundation to expand free legal services for immigrants across Michigan. Through the “Front Door” project, MIRC and its partners aim to connect every individual with immigration legal needs in the Detroit Metro area to a trained, legal professional.
Welcoming Michigan, an initiative of Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, has received a grant of $50,000 from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to expand its immigrant integration efforts.
On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in U.S. v. Texas, which began when Texas and 25 other states (including Michigan) challenged the implementation of President Obama's 2014 DAPA and expanded DACA programs. The district court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction against the programs, and the federal government appealed.
March 6, 2015, Grand Rapids, Mich. - Grand Rapids Community Foundation today announce a $50,000 grant to Michigan Immigrant Rights Center to provide legal representation for unaccompanied children with sponsoring families who are seeking asylum or other legal relief in Grand Rapids area.
MIRC has been serving unaccompanied immigrant children for many years. We believe that the greatest unmet need for children who are arriving now in Michigan is legal representation. That's because children who are released to sponsors (who are often family or friends from the child's home country) are still being prosecuted for deportation from the U.S. but are not provided with attorneys in Immigration Court. Children with attorneys are much more likely to win their cases in Immigration Court but few sponsors can afford legal assistance.
