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. 

Earlier this year, our community witnessed the devastating impact of Operation Metro Surge. As Minnesota prepares for a new era of continued deterioration of humanitarian protections and aggressive expansion of detention centers, our work has never been more urgent. This crisis hits home with the opening of the Appleton Detention Facility in Appleton, MN, marking the state’s first federally owned, privately operated ICE detention facility. 

Across the country, immigrants in detention centers are denied healthcare, not given adequate access to legal resources, live in overcrowded spaces, and are treated inhumanely. The opening of the facility in Appleton forbodes a period of increased enforcement actions and detentions targeting Minnesota’s immigrant population.

At the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), we are uniquely positioned to fight for and defend immigrants at the local, state, and national levels.

Over the past year, ILCM has significantly expanded our capacity to meet growing demand for immigration legal services across Minnesota. Not only have we completed 3,669 cases and impacted over 11,000 people just this year, but we also have:

• Doubled the size of our Community Defense program, which responds to the evolving need for removal defense by providing advice and service to detainees in custody, representing clients who qualify for protections against deportation, and presenting appeals to defend the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental liberties of immigrants.
• Expanded our detention intake line hours, which provides immediate legal guidance to those in detention. We’ve received over 480 detainee calls in 2026, a 3X increase over 2025.
• Added a social worker to our team, who holistically addresses the social, emotional, and logistical challenges clients face, ensuring that they have access to valuable resources.
• Launched a direct assistance program that has provided over $65,000 to help clients pay for housing, transportation, utilities, food, and other essential needs.

That’s why we’re launching our Detainee Defense Fund campaign. With the gracious support of an anonymous donor, we’ve received a $400,000 match to our goal: raise $400,000 by December 31st, in order to scale up our Detainee Rights Project that serves clients detained and/or at risk of being detained at the Appleton Detention Facility in Appleton, as well as other existing detention facilities in Minnesota.

Donate for Give to the Max Day to help us meet the moment and continue to scale up our legal defense programs, increase community outreach, and support families facing aggressive deportation and uncertainty.

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 nearly 30 years, ILCM has provided legal services in nearly 50,000 cases, impacting over 160,000 individuals. It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish together.

We know the pathway to citizenship is broken and nearly impossible to navigate. For nearly 30 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 becoming increasingly more unjust. This year, the challenges before us are significant, but together we can support our community and the immigrants and refugees who are being targeted through this crisis.

Everyone deserves to be happy, safe, and to simply exist in the United States, without the looming fear of separation or injustice. Your donations allow us to carry out our mission and quickly adapt to the changing needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They need us now, and we need you.