Immigration Law & Justice Michigan

08/27/2026

Our friends at El Concilio Kzoo are hosting this important event in Kalamazoo. Please share with folks who may need food help, and if you're able to help neighbors who don't feel safe leaving home or are not able to do so, that would be great. Community support matters!

08/14/2026

We are grateful for the Covenant Community United Methodist Church of Baldwin and their Helping Hands Ministry. Their work to support and comfort detainees at the Baldwin detention center is inspiring and appreciated. What a loving example of how a faith community can support immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers as they navigate a deeply confusing and scary time. Thank you!

Ways to support Baldwin immigrant ministry

Want to help Covenant Community UMC welcome, support, and care for immigrant neighbors at the ICE detention facility in Baldwin? Download practical ways to join them in their new Helping Hands ministry.

Printable PDF:https://michiganumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Flyer-Immigrant-Ministry.pdf

08/12/2026

Our home church in Metro Detroit, Dearborn First United Methodist Church is hosting a whistle kit making session on Friday, August 14, 2026, from 6pm - 8pm. This is an event organized by Asemblea Detroit, a collective of Detroit activists who are monitoring and documenting unlawful enforcement activity in Southeast Michigan. Please feel free to bring a friend!

08/10/2026

Many of our longtime friends know that we call four United Methodist Churches our Michigan "home churches". Our team members work out of these historic spaces, building lifelong relationships with staff, volunteers, clients, and community. We are grateful for the love and support that we receive and wanted to share how much we appreciate the beauty of the gardens at Central United Methodist Church - Traverse City. Thank you to the volunteers and staff who make it possible for us to serve our immigrant clients in such vibrant and welcoming spaces.

08/07/2026

Our friends at All Saints Literacy Center are doing a great job helping immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers improve their English language skills as they work toward citizenship. We appreciate all of our colleagues who offer their skills and compassion to our clients and all of the folks who want to make Michigan their home.

Leaders say the center remains a welcoming place for students despite growing anxiety around immigration enforcement

08/04/2026

It's primary election day in Michigan and we have so many naturalized citizens voting for the first time today. This is a good reminder to all of our followers that we all need to get out and vote as well.

08/03/2026

Last week, ILJMI Executive Director Julie Powers and Legal Director Marcelo Betti presented at the Michigan Community Action Conference in Kalamazoo. Our presentation was "Supporting Our Communities Through Change: What Immigration Policy Means for Your Agency". CAAs were created under President Johnson in 1964 to fight poverty at the local level. Each of Michigan's 28 CAAs have a different mix of programs and services, tailored to meet the needs of the counties they serve.

Our mission to help low income immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and unaccompanied refugee minor children navigate the immigration system aligns beautifully with the work of our community action agencies. We look forward to working together again!

07/22/2026

Alida Sanchez De Rosario, was born in the Dominican Republic, and came to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) for more than a decade. Alida came to ILJ-MI for help with her naturalization paperwork because she realized that the United States was a place that she wanted to live permanently.

"I decided to do the citizenship (application) for many reasons, for example I like this country, its laws, and it is a country where we all have rights."

Alida was sworn in early June in Grand Rapids and now considers herself an advocate for others who are considering applying for citizenship. .

"The advice I give to people is that yes, it can be done, I was not afraid. First, you (ILJ-MI) gave me that confidence and that security, with your help I did not feel fear or insecurities, the N400 is easy, you just have to study."

We are so proud of Alida, impressed by her hard work, and inspired by her advocacy for becoming a citizen.

Learn more about our work on our website: https://www.iljmi.org/

07/21/2026

Steve Tobocman from Detroit makes some very important points about the positive impacts that immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have on Michigan's economy. To be clear, the work we do is more than just economics. We believe that, fundamentally, immigrant rights are human rights. We do the work because it is the right, moral, and just thing to do.

New arrivals continue a disproportionate share to Michigan’s economy. Supreme Court decisions on asylum and Temporary Protected Status are not only un-American but growth.

07/16/2026

We hope that everyone in Michigan is taking precautions against the extraordinarily bad air quality today (and extending into Friday). To keep our team safe, some of our staff will be working remotely. Please confirm the location (in-person, virtual) of any appointments for the next two days.

ILJ Michigan welcomes and supports low-income immigrants with free immigration legal services and public advocacy.