IMMIGRANT LAW CENTER OF MINNESOTA INC

New beginnings project: this project supports immigrant survivors of domestic violence or other serious crimes and unaccompanied children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected to obtain lawful status, thereby gaining the personal and economic self-sufficiency needed to escape the cycle of violence. The project works closely with social service organizations and law enforcement to provide comprehensive support to these clients.

New americans immigration hub project: new in 2024, this project is a collaboration of efforts, time, skills, expertise, and resources by similar immigration-legal organizations in the state of minnesota. The hub makes it easier for new minnesotans to access legal services by creating coordinated intake systems, new clinic locations, specialized educational materials, collaborative outreach efforts, and a more thoughtful referral network. In 2024, ilcm handled 46 cases through the hub project.

Temporary protected status project: this project provides representation for individuals from countries granted tps from the secretary of the department of homeland security (dhs). Tps is a temporary immigration status for individuals who are unable to return home safely due to civil war, natural disaster, or other conditions or circumstances preventing their return to their home country. During the designated tps period, tps holders cannot be deported from the united states and cannot be detained by dhs on the basis of their immigration status. Tps holders are eligible for an employment authorization document (ead) and for travel authorization.

Community defense project: this project responds to the evolving need for deportation defense to keep families together. The project provides advice and brief service to detainees in custody, represents detained and non-detained clients who qualify for asylum or other protections against deportation, and presents appeals to defend the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental liberties of immigrants. The project also supports impact litigation that protects and advances the civil rights of immigrants through a partnership with the university of minnesota, nonprofits, and private law firms.

Pro bono project:this project increases ilcm's capacity to serve immigrant and refugee communities by recruiting, training, and supervising private attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants to assist clients in becoming naturalized u.s. Citizens, help ukrainians renew parole or apply for tps, assist crime victims apply for a u visa, and renew daca status. Pro bono attorneys have also assisted in family reunification cases, deportation defense, impact litigation and appeals, and commenting on proposed regulations. In 2024, 194 pro bono attorneys reported a total of 3,426 hours of legal services to ilcm clients.

Refugee services project: this project supports refugees, asylees, ukrainian parolees, and afghan parolees and special immigrant visa holders in applying for employment authorization, lawful permanent resident status and replacement of green cards, and citizenship. In providing these services, the project collaborates with refugee resettlement and community organizations across minnesota.

Dreamers project: this project provides legal representation and outreach for current recipients of the deferred action for childhood arrivals (daca) program who are eligible to renew their daca status. Daca was established in august 2012, and there have been efforts to eliminate the program since 2017. Currently, initial applications cannot be filed. The project supports daca holders with renewing their status, which confers employment authorization and protection from deportation.

Advocacy project: ilcm works at a systems-level to promote fair and just public policies that support immigrant and refugee communities. Ilcm works directly with the immigrant community, immigrant advocates, nonprofits, business and civic leaders, law enforcement, and policymakers to increase awareness of the contributions and needs of immigrants and refugees and to advocate for welcoming policies at the local, state, and federal levels. This past year, after the passage of "driver's licenses for all" (2023), we served as a crucial liaison between the community and the department of vehicle services (dvs), ensuring that community needs were effectively communicated to dvs while also relaying dvs' questions and concerns back to the community. Ilcm also advocated heavily for all minnesotans, regardless of immigration status, to access minnesotacare, health insurance offered by the mn department of human services. In november, it was announced that minnesotacare expanded its coverage to allow undocumented people to apply for health insurance. Historically, lack of insurance for undocumented people has contributed to disparities in health care access, health outcomes, and quality of life. Expanded eligibility will help decrease stress on emergency rooms by encouraging preventative care, lower costs, and, most importantly, improve the health of all minnesotans.

Education: ilcm complements its legal advice and representation services with quality education and training sessions, including continuing legal education (cle) sessions and community presentations on a variety of immigration-related subjects. Presentations are tailored to meet the needs of each individual group and provide accurate and up-to-date written materials where appropriate. In 2024, ilcm reached nearly 2,000 people through outreach activities. Participants in our education efforts included immigrants, judges, attorneys, advocates, and law enforcement. Much of ilcm's education efforts in 2024 centered around immigration legal developments, driver's licenses for all, minnesotacare expansion, get out the vote, and citizenship.

North dakota immigration project:ilcm also opened an office in fargo, north dakota in 2022 to provide services to refugees, asylees, and new arrivals from afghanistan and ukraine. This project focuses on applications for employment authorization, green cards, and citizenship. Since the fargo office opened in 2022, the project has worked on 725 cases.

Citizenship project: this project focuses on increasing the number of lawful permanent residents in minnesota who apply for and obtain united states citizenship. The project also builds collaborations across sectors to promote the importance of citizenship in increasing civic engagement and strengthening communities.