¡Sí, se puede!
Migrant Legal Aid Prepares Migrants for ICE Encounters
Dozens of frightened migrant parents gathered in a safe place to learn how to deal with ICE encounters. With widespread fear in our rural agricultural communities, many migrant parents have avoided public places. Teresa Hendricks-Pitsch, Director of MLA, teaches parents their rights and duties when dealing with ICE. She demonstrates scenarios in an interactive education event that leaves parents with a solid idea and plan for an ICE encounter in three scenarios: At home, in public, and at work. To request an MLA legal education session for farmworkers with regard to ICE encounters, contact Mary Bennett at mbennett@migrantlegalaid.org
Do you know a farmworker woman at least 40 years old? Have her call us to register for a free mammogram on a Sunday, with three dates to choose from and three locations. Migrant Legal Aid has partnered with Spectrum Health, Cherry Health, Susan G Komen, and the Kent County Health Department to develop a program to promote migrant women's breast health in West Michigan. The Mammogram Bus will bring free screening to rural sites so migrant women in agricultural work can protect their health. Our bilingual staff will help pre-register women for appointment times. While medical staff attend to participants, there will be fun activities for children. Attorneys will be also be available for anyone with immigration concerns or other farmworker-related matters. Complementary gifts for participants, thanks to our generous donors, including Meijer, Pitsch Companies, Susan G. Komen, and more.

For the Spanish flyer, email mbennett@migrantlegalaid.org

Migrant Legal Aid Will be collecting School Supplies For United Way's 2019 Stuff the Bus Campaign. Donations can be brought to the MLA Office from July 15 to August 5. For a list of suggested donations visit our website here.
Our Michigan-focused Pesticide Guide for Employers
Ready for Beta Testing
Migrant Legal Aid joined forces with pesticide use experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine to create an Employer's Guide to the Revised the Worker Protection Standard of U.S. EPA. The EPA's Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is aimed at reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning and injury among agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. It offers occupational protections to over 2 million agricultural workers. Most of the revised WPS requirements became effective on January 2, 2017. Two requirements went into effect on January 2, 2018:
  • The requirement for an updated safety poster, and
  • The requirement for handlers to suspend an application if a person is within the application exclusion zone.
Our advisory board includes Donald Baumgartner, Antonia Castro-Escobar, Craig Anderson, Debra Chester, Rachel Margiewicz, Denny Heffron, Dale Freeman, Helen Dietrich, Nick Schweitzer, John Stone, Zachariah Green, and Melissa Millerick-May.
Meet Yessenia Aguillo
"I am a senior at Grand Valley studying pre-law. My parents both worked in the fields when they were young, and I have so many connections to the farmworker community! I began volunteering after Diana Lampihere recommended this wonderful agency to me, and what was supposed to be a few-month deal quickly developed into something more. I look forward to advocating, educating and bringing the community together on outreach with the MLA team." 
The Quiet Force Documentary
The Quiet Force is a moving film about the Latino workforce in American ski towns. These individuals come to the United States primarily for work, safe living conditions, and to create a life of opportunity for their families. As long as there are jobs to fill, they will continue to come. Immigration policy allows a certain number of workers to arrive in the US legally, but visas are not available at the rate they are needed.The documentary film,  The Quiet Force , investigates the human and economic impact of Hispanic immigrants living in ski towns— specifically, Mammoth, Vail, and Jackson—where they comprise 30 percent (or more) of the local population. Watch the The Quiet Force trailer
The 2019 Cindy Silva Memorial Cup was a huge success. Golfers spent the day out on the Mines Golf Course, enjoyed a hot dog lunch and steak dinner, and won great prizes in our silent auction.
One lucky person, who bid high enough on the silent auction bid, will be spending time with a NASCAR Driver learning to handle the machine, and will then experience driving solo around the track. We hope to see you next year! Thank you to members of Cindy's family (which includes her friends) who honor her by volunteering at this fun outing.
Girl Scouts Bring STEM Activities to Migrant Camp
Girl Scouts in Central California recognized that migrant workers didn't have the means to get to their STEM education center, so they started bringing the STEM center to them.

The Young Hands That Feed Us
An estimated 524,000 Children as young as 12 are working long hours in US fields, and it's all completely legal.

Undocumented Farmworkers Targeted at Grocery Stores
Workers from a Vermont dairy farm went to Walmart to shop. A US Border Patrol agent followed them and arrested three who did not have immigration paperwork.