Legal Assistance

Immigrant communities are often disadvantaged by deficient language skills or knowledge of legal processes. Providing immigrants with clear and simple guidance and answers can alleviate much of the pressure of the legal process.

Our staff and volunteers will be able to guide beneficiaries through the legal process and answer their questions. We will help them fill out forms and understand the requirements and responsibilities of the legal process. We will work with local attorneys to provide free consultations to our beneficiaries, as well as free or reduced-cost services to anyone in need.

Immigrants are subject to language and civics exams before there can become naturalized of the United States. Immigrants often lack the language skills or the knowledge to pass these exams. We will provide English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to immigrants to allow prepare them for naturalization. We will also provide civics education classes that will allow them to be an active part of their civic community, as well as prepare them for the naturalization exam.

Immigrants and the poor often lack the language and knowledge needed to navigate through the public services system in the United States. Families may not know whether they qualify for assistance, or how to go about obtaining it.

Our staff and volunteers will assist beneficiaries in applying for food, income, and other governmental assistance, including with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Social Security Administration. We will also work with beneficiaries to help them address questions and requests from government agencies.

Family law issues can be especially challenging for the poor and disadvantaged. When a single income household is torn in a divorce proceeding, one of the spouses is often disadvantaged by the fact that they do not earn an income. This can complicate their ability to reach a just resolution in the divorce, or to maintain custody of their children.

We will work with local attorneys to provide free consultations on divorce, custody, and support issues. We will also work with attorneys to provide free or reduced-cost services to families in need. This is in addition to the services provided to victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Minority and poor communities often face prejudice and discrimination, even at the hands of law enforcement and government agencies. The welfare and advancement of a community cannot be achieved without empowering each individual to assert their rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and civil rights legislation.

The Organization will hold campaigns and workshops to inform the community of their legal rights; starting from the First Amendment protections of speech and protest, to the protections of due process and fair trial.