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Dear Friends and Allies,

We did it! Together, we advocated for immigrants and refugees in the Minnesota legislature, and the legislature responded. During the session that ended on May 22, ILCM's top legislative priorities passed! LINK: [link removed]

In addition to these top priorities, ILCM also

- Supported successful efforts to ensure tax fairness by ensuring that individuals with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are now eligible for the homestead exemption, the working families tax credit, and the child tax credit;
- Ensured that legislation providing for automatic expungement particularly in the cannabis legalization bill--allowed immigrants and refugees to continue to access their records for immigration purposes; and
- Advocated successfully to ensure that the automated-voter registration bill contains protections for immigrants and refugees who inadvertently register to vote.

ILCM is also incredibly grateful to the legislature and the governor for their leadership in appropriating millions of dollars in funding to support legal aid and social services organizations supporting immigrants and refugees to join and remain in Minnesota's workforce.

Other important legislation that will benefit all Minnesotans includes paid family medical leave, a free public college tuition program, and an expansion of worker protection laws, with specific protection for workers in nursing homes, Amazon warehouses, meatpacking plants, construction sites, hospitals and public schools.

As always, the devil is in the details: every new law must be implemented and enforced; the community informed about their new rights and privileges; and unanticipated and new issues addressed. Recognizing the work that lies ahead, we are grateful to the community, to community partners, to all the supporters who advocated for this legislation, to everyone who wrote an email, called a legislator, or showed up at the Capitol. Thanks to all of you, this was the best session in history!

With gratitude,

Veena Iyer
ILCM Executive Director



ILCM Night at the Jungle Theater

Join ILCM for a special reception and performance of "The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman's Deportation Proceedings!"

6-7:30 p.m.: ILCM Reception at Jungle Theater rehearsal space with heavy hors d'oeuvres and pre-show educational opportunities with Executive Director, Veena Iyer
7:30 p.m.: Performance of "The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman's Deportation Proceedings."

RSVP Here: [link removed]



The Law and Language: The Courtroom and Language (In)accessibility for New Americans - CLE

Calling all lawyers!

Watch "The Courtroom" and then join the Jungle Theater, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and the Advocates for Human Rights for a free CLE based on the production!

When: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 from noon to 1:30 p.m. (lunch begins at 11:30 a.m.)
Where: Nilan Johnson Lewis PA, 250 S Marquette Ave Ste 800, Minneapolis, MN 55401 (Remote access also available)
CLE: 1.5 Elimination of Bias CLE credits requested

Lunch will be provided to in-person participants

Register here: [link removed]



Alumni Spotlight: Jekap Omod

Austin Public Schools (APS) recently highlighted former ILCM client, Jekap Omod, in their alumni spotlight. He said he is "grateful for all the support I received from my teachers at APS during my high school years as a new kid from Africa with a very little English. I am here today because of the support they gave me. I can't mention all your names but THANK you!"

Jekap started working with ILCM attorney Sara Karki to become a U.S. citizen in September of 2020 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen this May!

APS Spotlight: [link removed]

Read more: [link removed]



First BIA Win for Equal Justice Works Fellow Julia Potach!

ILCM's Equal Justice Works fellow Julia Potach won in her first ever Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) case! Not only is this a tremendous result for her client, but it is also the first case that we know of where the BIA made a decision on this particular issue. Julia adapted and employed creative arguments from other successful arguments presented by federal appellate defenders to the 8th Circuit. Essentially, the case came down to the plain language of a South Dakota statute! Her arguments were persuasive, concise, and made good law - congratulations!



Welcome New ILCM Board Members!

ILCM is excited to announce two new board members - Gaurav Gaur and Moraa Prochaska.

Read more: [link removed]


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