Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

For immigrants and refugees, so much is uncertain.

But what is certain, is that the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota will be here to help them navigate their immigration legal journey every step of the way. 

At the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), our mission is to enhance opportunities for immigrants and refugees through legal representation for low-income individuals, and through education and advocacy with diverse communities. We live out that mission in three key areas: 

By remedying legal problems as the only legal services agency in Minnesota that offers free, comprehensive immigration services statewide to low-income immigrants, regardless of their legal status or case type  

By preventing legal problems through immigration law-related education to immigrants and refugees of all nationalities, which alerts families and networks to available legal protections and rights; and

By advocating at the local, state, and national levels of government to encourage public policy that is both compassionate and practical and protects the universal human rights of immigrants and refugees.

ILCM serves clients in the Twin Cities through our two St. Paul offices and clients in Greater Minnesota through our offices in Worthington, Austin, and Moorhead. In 2022, ILCM also expanded our reach to North Dakota through our office in Fargo. We were founded in 1996 and over the span of 26 years, ILCM has provided legal services in almost 46,000 cases, impacting over 138,000 individuals. It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish together.

In 2021 alone, we:  

• Provided legal services in 3,092 unique cases impacting approximately 9,276 individuals.
• Responded quickly with coalition partners to assist Afghan and Ukrainian arrivals in Minnesota. You know and we know that they are refugees seeking safe haven, but most lack this official designation and therefore must secure another form of immigration protection. We’ve worked hard to educate the community about temporary protections-- like Temporary Protected Status-- and stand ready to assist with these applications in designated areas and those for lawful permanent residence, once Congress authorizes them.
• Secured the dismissal or closure of 13 deportation cases during the short period when the Biden administration was able to liberalize deportation policy before being stopped—hopefully temporarily-- by the courts. At the center of these 13 wins are families who no longer face the threat of imminent separation and ILCM attorneys, paralegals, and law clerks who strategically responded to a positive change in policy.  
• Supported 153 lawful permanent residents to become citizens. Significantly, our impact in Greater Minnesota was outsized. During the 2020 federal fiscal year, ILCM assisted approximately 9% of the individuals who naturalized in the Worthington area and 14% of individuals who naturalized in the Austin area, ensuring that the immigrants and refugees who are revitalizing Greater Minnesota can fully participate in their communities.  

And yet, with many successes and celebrations, there are also the unbearable, heart wrenching moments.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals deciding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful, and thus denying many otherwise eligible DREAMers legal status…

The stalling of enacting the Afghan Adjustment Act, that would give the 1,200 Afghans who resettled in Minnesota a path to citizenship…

The upholding of Title 42, which is inhumanely used to deny people who desperately need safe haven entry at the Southern Border…

We know the pathway to citizenship is broken and nearly impossible to navigate. For 26 years, ILCM has been representing and advocating for immigrants as they navigate the long, complicated process of becoming a U.S. citizen. The needs of our clients are ever-changing. And at the same time, the unmet need across Minnesota continues to rise as foreign-born populations make up more of our communities.

We need your help today to give a gift of certainty to immigrants and refugees in our community.

Because behind every statistic, there is an immigrant or refugee in our community telling us:

“I was never able to feel secure in my future”

“How could I explain that ‘home’ for me is just ‘limbo’?”

“’I was happy, I was hopeful, that I could be living here and not looking over my shoulder. That I will have access to all the opportunity that is here.”

By supporting ILCM this Give to the Max Day, you’ll be helping provide immigrants and refugees in Minnesota the legal support and education they need to help them achieve their dreams. You’ll be helping secure legal status in the United States and overcome barriers to obtaining work authorization and citizenship. Your support allows ILCM to continue our work so that our clients can make meaningful improvements in their lives, giving them and their families the opportunity for a safe and sustainable future in Minnesota.