Dear Friends and Allies,

As we mark ILCM’s 25 years of service, we celebrate the work done during that time, the amazing talent and dedication of our staff, pro bono attorneys, and volunteers, and the unfailing and essential support of our friends and donors. Together, all of us have much to celebrate.

In 1996, anti-immigrant legislation severely restricted funding for federally funded legal aid organizations to provide legal services to undocumented immigrants. ILCM was founded because of those restrictions, turning a challenge into

opportunity for wider service and growth.

In 2006, the largest ICE raid to that point in our nation’s history devastated the immigrant community in Worthington. ILCM was on the ground immediately advising family members and representing detainees. Out of that awful moment grew ILCM’s presence in greater Minnesota, where we now have offices in Worthington, Austin, and Moorhead.

Looking ahead, we see continuing challenges, and continuing opportunities for service and advocacy. Among the most immediate challenges:

Serving Dreamers who are seeking renewal of their DACA status and others who are ready to file initial applications once they are accepted again;
Representing immigrants caught up in the dysfunctional and backlogged immigration court system and who are increasingly being detained and deported;
Supporting immigrants and refugees to become citizens—both assisting those eligible to apply and continuing advocacy for Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented members of our community.

On August 10, the Senate took a first step, voting for a $3.5 billion budget that includes a pathway to citizenship for many. We are one step closer to delivering a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farm workers, and essential workers. There are many obstacles facing us prior final passage, from committee hearings to late-night negotiations. We need continuing advocacy through the days and weeks ahead to keep the immigration provisions alive.

Many bad immigration policies—including the one that sparked the creation of ILCM—have passed through the budget reconciliation. Now it's time to pass something good using this legislative maneuver.

Our work is possible only because you have been and continue to be part of ILCM’s 25-year journey. Thank you for your support in the past and for continuing with us on the road ahead.

We ask that you also join us in demanding the protection of those in Afghanistan who provided interpretation, security, cultural advice, intelligence, and other services to the U.S.-led military coalition. With just two weeks until the U.S. military withdraws from Afghanistan, we have yet to hear how the United States will ensure the evacuation of all Americans and vulnerable Afghan allies. We have a moral obligation to these individuals and we cannot fail them.

In partnership,

DACA Updates

After the federal court decision on July 16, 2021 making DACA illegal, USCIS updated its DACA Frequently Asked Questions on July 28, 2021. They now say that if you submit a DACA request more than one year since your last grant of DACA expired, they will treat this as an initial request, not a renewal. That means it will not be considered because of the recent Texas court order. Also, if you submit a renewal after your most recent DACA grant was terminated (at any time), your request will be treated as an initial request, not a renewal.

Learn More

MPR spoke to ILCM intern Carlos Reyes Rojas (pictured above) and ILCM pro bono manager Tim Sanders Szabo about the July 16th court ruling’s impact, and why we need a permanent pathway to citizenship.

Photo by Peg Hunter (CC by NC 2.0)

TPS for Somalia (and Burma, Venezuela, and Haiti)

In the last few months, there have been multiple updates in the temporary protection status (TPS) program. Please visit our website for more information on the recent updates. The Sahan Journal spoke to ILCM’s Archbishop John Ireland Justice Fellow, James Rasmussen, about what the extension of Somali TPS means for hundreds of Somali TPS holders across Minnesota.

Learn More