-
Prosecutorial discretion in crime cases
October 26, 2011A woman in Austin, MN nearly became a martyr for the U-Visa cause. Ms. Sanchez reached out to the local police department after becoming the victim of domestic abuse, and was nearly deported when her undocumented status was uncovered.
This article from Sunday's Star Tribune highlights the importance of prosecutorial discretion when dealing with victims of violence and domestic abuse. This issue isn't specific to Austin, Minn. Many of ILCM's clients are victims of crimes, but have been afraid to seek help for fear of deportation.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
Minnesota's restricted medical assistance law will affect legal immigrants
September 01, 2011On January 1, 2012, a new medical assistance law will go into effect in Minnesota as the result of significant budget cuts. These cuts will dramatically restrict access to state-funded medical services for Legal Permanent Residents - or immigrants awaiting their green card.
The Twin Cities Daily Planet interviewed ILCM Director John Keller for this story. Read it in its entirety here.
Read more...Categories ILCM in the News | Immigration in Minnesota -
Immigration audits drive the undocumented underground
August 22, 2011A recent article in the Wall Street Journal illustrates the effect that immigration audits in Minnesota have had on undocumented immigrants. ILCM executive director John Keller is among the local experts interviewed.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota | ILCM in the News -
New Publication: New Americans in Minnesota
July 18, 2011The Minnesota Business Immigrant Coalition (MNBIC) has released its publication, New Americans in Minnesota: Issues that Need Immediate Attention, and is available here. ILCM Director John Keller traveled throughout the metro with the MNBIC earlier this year in order to deliver presentations on the contributions of immigrants and new Americans to Minnesota's economy.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
VP of Liberia visits Minneapolis to appeal for DED
June 20, 2011Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai visited Minneapolis on June 17 to highlight the expiring Deferred Enforcement Departure for Liberians. If President Obama does not extend DED status for Liberians, then many of whom are living in the United States without Premanent Resident status would be force to be deported back to Liberia. Liberian VP Joseph Boakai stressed that Liberian are welcome back, but because of the vulnerable state the country is currently in after years of war, that the Liberians living in the U.S. should be able to choose whether to go back or not and not by force.
To read the full story by the tcdailyplanet, click here.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota | Immigration in the United States -
American Immigration Lawyers Association denounces House Detention Bill
May 26, 2011The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is denouncing the House Detention Billl, arguing that passing this bill will allow for the U.S. government to indefinitely detain individuals, increasing their already broad authority to detain noncitizens. AILA also argues that this goes against the constitution. To read the full story, click here.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
Gov. Dayton vetoed all of the budget bills
May 24, 2011Today Governor Dayton vetoed all of the budget bills, including those that would harm ILCM and the immigrant community. See our recent action alert here and read the Governor’s veto statement and letters here.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
Interactive map: Where are MN's immigrants coming from?
April 20, 2011Take a look at where Minnesota's immigrants are coming from in this fun interactive map; statistics were taken from 2000-2009.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
Hmong National Conference comes to MN
April 20, 2011This year's Hmong National Conference being held in Minnesota is drawing in more than 900 young Hmong professionals and students attendee. Traditionally the conference's focus has been on Hmong students, but with the twin cities having the highest concentration of Hmong professionals in the country HNC decided that the theme for this year would be Hmong professionals. "We're definitely focusing more on the working professionals, and we're bringing in very top people in the Hmong community to come and speak," says Lee Vue a conference organizer. The organization's statistic states that, "38 percent of the conference attendees will have a master's degree or higher, and 86 percent will have at least a bachelor's degree." The keynote speaker for the conference will be MayKao Hang, the President of Wilder Foundation; other speakers plannning to attend the conference are MN Senator Al Franken and former State Senator Mee Moua.
To read the full story from the Pioneer Press, click here.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota -
Dayton drops Pawlenty directive on immigration
April 14, 2011Governer Mark Dayton has decided to let former Governor Pawlenty's executive order to have the state enforce federal laws, expire and opted not to renew it. The executive order "required state agencies for public safety, corrections and commerce to work with federal officials by cross-designating state agents to enforce immigration and customs law, combing the prison population to identify illegal immigrants and participating in efforts to uncover document fraud, gang activity and child predators." Governor Dayton believed that the executive order was not necessary, and pointed it to merely "a political stunt on [Pawlenty's] part," when he decided to pass it.
To read the full story from MPR, click here.
Read more...Categories Immigration in Minnesota
