Immigration


Would You Pass the US Citizenship Test? Find Out Here.

Nearly 700,000 people living in Michigan are immigrants, according to the 2020 US Census, and more than half of them have become naturalized citizens. To do that, they had to go through a long process that includes living in the US for 3-5 years, proving they can read, write, and speak English, and passing a...

The Haji Khalif family arrives at their new home on July 24, 2015 in Bloomfield, Michigan. The Kurdish family of five moved here from their first placement home in Dearborn due to their daughters disability. They originally fled their own home in Aleppo and lived in Jordan before coming to the United States. Since the war started the United States has resettled under 1,500 refugees, despite over 12,000 applications. That fall, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that least 10,000 displaced Syrians will be allowed into the United states over the next year. This announcement was followed up by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announcing the United States would accept 85,000 refugees from around the world next year and that total would rise to 100,000 in 2017.
Coming to Michigan to Find Safety in a Welcoming Place, Families Still Face Struggles

Families coming to Michigan from Afghanistan join the long history of shared struggle and accomplishment with over a century of Armenians, Iraqis, Syrians and others fleeing danger.

Nedal Al Hayek plays with his son, Taym, and daughter, Layal, outside their new home on July 28, 2015 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The family, including Nedals wife, Raeda, fled Syria after he was beaten and tortured by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. Nedal says he still worries for the safety of his extended family in Syria. Since the war started the United States has resettled under 1,500 refugees, despite over 12,000 applications. This fall, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that least 10,000 displaced Syrians will be allowed into the United states over the next year. This announcement was followed up by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announcing the United States would accept 85,000 refugees from around the world next year and that total would rise to 100,000 in 2017.
How the Skills of People Fleeing Crises Bolster Michigan’s Culture and Economy

Over 1,000 people fleeing Afghanistan are looking to make a new home, and are ready to help Michigan communities grow.

Pro-immigration protesters march down Woodward Ave to Grand Circus Park in July 2019 in Detroit, Michigan, before a Democratic primary debate taking place at the nearby Fox Theatre. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY /AFP via Getty Images)
After Three Years, Immigrant Woman Can Finally Leave Michigan Church

The woman took sanctuary at a Kalamazoo church during the Trump administration, which implemented a host of anti-immigration policies.

In this Friday, June 26, 2020 photo, U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson, left, administers the Oath of Citizenship to Hala Baqtar during a drive-thru naturalization service in a parking structure at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services headquarters on Detroit's east side. The ceremony is a way to continue working as the federal courthouse is shut down due to Coronavirus. The U.S. has resumed swearing in new citizens but the oath ceremonies aren't the same because of COVID-19 and a budget crisis at the citizenship agency threatens to stall them again.  (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Biden’s Immigration Reforms Hit Home in Michigan, but the Work Isn’t Done

While celebrating President Biden ending the ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries, Michiganders want to be sure such bans never happen again.

Constantin Mutu, the youngest known child separated from his family at the southern border. Photo via FX's The Weekly.
How The Youngest Child Separated at the Southern Border Wound Up in a Michigan Court

Family separation is not just a southern border issue, Michigan lawyers say. And it has come to the Mitten in surprising ways under President Trump.

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545 Undocumented Children Are Orphans Because of Trump

The missing parents are from Trump’s 2017 pilot program to separate families at the border.