¡Sí, se puede!
Happy New Year!
Sisters Celebrate the Holiday, a Birthday, and Legalization!
In December, we had the honor of presenting U Visas to two of our clients, who also happen to be sisters. U Visas are granted to victims of qualifying crimes who cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and/or prosecution of that crime. Migrant Legal Aid is able to help farm workers and their families who are victims of these crimes by helping them through the U Visa application process. After a lengthy waiting period, it was a relief to finally give these sisters their Visas right before the holidays. Migrant Legal Aid helps migrants overcome violent environments through our MOVE program. Si se puede!

To stay up to date on our latest cases and outreach efforts, follow our social media pages.
14th Annual Golf Outing
Save the date. We are looking forward to seeing you at our annual golf outing at the Mines Golf Course on Friday, Jun 19th, 2020 at 9 am.

The annual golf outing is a great opportunity to share all that we have accomplished while also enjoying a fun day on the course.

Registration and sponsor information will be announced soon.
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
January 11th was Human Trafficking Awareness Day with January being dedicated to National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention . Human trafficking is " the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act" ( Source ).

As part of the Kent County Area Human Trafficking Coalition, Migrant Legal Aid assists trafficking victims in escaping traffickers, obtaining T Visas, and connecting with local services such as healthcare. We have experience in and are dedicated to helping those who are in seemingly helpless situations.

Migrant farm workers are at risk for labor trafficking because of their inability to access resources such as law enforcement and legal services. Additionally, language barriers, fear of retaliation, and/or fear of law enforcement are factors that may deter victims from getting help ( Source).

Check out the video below to learn about one of our T Visa recipients.

National Human Trafficking Hotline (888) 373-7888
Defending Against Hate

As part of our goal to reduce acts and words of hate and harassment toward our client population, MLA has convened a Kent County advisory group of professionals in disciplines serving students, including migrant students, to design a data collection project through Calvin College’s Center for Social Research. If you are interested in hearing more about this work, feel free to contact our office, or stay tuned to our newsletters for updates.
Census 2020 Updates
The start of a new decade means it's almost time for Census 2020! Migrant Legal Aid continues to spread awareness about the upcoming Census by doing presentations, posting on social media, and conducting outreach. In February, we will be presenting at a training for Interagency Migrant Services Committee outreach workers. We will share pictures and updates from this training in March. This January we have been booked solid with presentations on the importance and necessity of having everyone be counted.

Don't forget: Invitations and instructions on how to complete the Census will be mailed by the Census Bureau to each household in March 2020. If you have any questions about the Census? Call or text our Census Hotline at ‪(616) 238-0568.‬