Immigrant and refugee resources
On May 30, 2017, the Bloomington City Council and School board adopted a joint Statement on Immigration in response to the current atmosphere of anger, fear and anxiety around immigration. Included in this statement was a commitment to make services accessible and equitable to all regardless of immigration status.
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Legal assistance
Immigrant Hope - Bloomington
2300 East 88th Street, Bloomington, MN 55425 | 952-564-3767 | bloomington@immigranthope.org
- Services
- Citizenship and naturalization
- Replacing or renewing a Green Card
- Replacing citizenship documents
- Resources and recommendations for further assistance
- Cost: Initial Consultations are $30; Fees depend on income; most processes cost less than $200.
- How to access: By appointment only on Mondays, 6 to 9 p.m. or Saturdays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
International Institute of Minnesota
1649 Como Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104 | 651-647-0191 (choose extension 300 for appointments) | info@iimn.org
- Services
- Citizenship, lawful permanent residency, replacement of documents, and other immigration-related issues.
- Adjustment of status
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Employment authorization
- Citizenship classes
- Clients may be referred to a low-cost immigration attorney for further legal consultation
- Cost: Nominal fees apply; Fees vary by application and range from $25 to $175
- How to access: Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Appointment required.
Arrive Ministries
1515 East 66th Street, Richfield, MN | 612-243-2961 | immigration@arriveministries.org
- Services
- Immigration legal screening and social service referral
- Green card applications, family-based visas, travel documents, and citizenship applications.
- Immigration Application Preparation and Support; help completing forms (Filing with USCIS; I-130s (family petitions); Consular Processing; I-129sFs (fiancé visas); Humanitarian Parole
- Interpreters available by phone or in person upon request.
- Cost: USCIS application fees apply; Nominal fees depending on the complexity of services; fees reflect the cost of service. Contact directly for current fees.
- How to access: Call for appointment; all new clients are required to attend a brief intake for eligibility screening and appointment preparation; Appointments available Monday thru Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Volunteer Lawyer’s Network (VLN)
600 Nicollet Mall - Suite 390A, Minneapolis, MN 55402 | 612-752-6677 | vln@vlnmn.org
- Services
- Brief consultations on I-130s (family petitions), I-129sFs (fiancé visas); Criminal Issues; Family Unity Consultations
- Bilingual lawyers, staff and interpreters available.
- Cost: Free
- How to access: By appointment only; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Eligibility for services depends on your income and the type of case. Call to see if you qualify.
Minnesota Council of Churches
122 Franklin Avenue West - Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN | 612-230-3224 | mcc@mnchurches.org
- Services:
- Family reunification
- Green Card
- Citizenship
- Assistance with travel documents
- Refugees and asylees only
- Cost: Low cost
- How to access: Call to determine eligibility; Walk-in hours: 1 to 4 p.m. (lottery, must arrive by 12:30 p.m.)
Lutheran Social Services
2400 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404 | 612-227-7865
- Services
- Family Reunification
- Assist in filing certain immigration forms, including work permits, replacement I-94s, Refugee/Asylee Visas, FOIA requests, travel documents, Green Card Applications
- Refugees and asylees only
- Cost: Free consultation services to determine eligibility; Nominal fees apply for assistance.
- How to access: Call for appointment or walk-in; Walk-in hours: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Legal Rights Center
1611 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404 (Meetings can also be held at CLUES) | 612-337-0030 | office@legalrightscenter.org
- Services
- Criminal law
- Income guidelines: general standard is household income that is less than 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for felonies, and 125% for misdemeanors.
- Cost: Free
- How to access: In-person intake meetings are required when applying for a free attorney. Call or email to schedule a meeting with a Community Advocate
Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County (CAP-HC)
8800 Hwy S, Suite 401, St. Louis Park, MN | 952-697-1308
- Services
- Legal Service Clinics hosted throughout Hennepin County
- DACA and other brief legal advice/services in immigration matters
- Spanish speakers are available on site; other languages available upon request
- Cost: Free for income eligible clients
- How to access: Appointments are recommended; dates, times and locations are subject to change.
Pro-bono immigration lawyers
Pro-bono refers to free legal services for those who are unable to pay.
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
450 North Syndicate Street - Suite 175, St. Paul, MN 55104 | Office: 651-641-1011 Intake: 1-800-223-1368 |
- Services
- Noncriminal immigration
- Appeals of denied applications
- Assistance for cases such as U Visa/VAWA/Removal of conditions based on abuse, U Visa adjustments, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Naturalization, N-600s, Initial or renewal of DACA applications, Temporary Protected Status, Refugee Adjustments
- Cost: No-cost legal assistance
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How to access: Call during intake hours to schedule an appointment: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 12 to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Immigrant Law Project
430 1st. Avenue North - Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN | 612-334-5970 | MPLSimmigrationintake@mylegalaid.org
- Services
- Adjustment of Status, Asylum applications, Consular Processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Employment authorization, Family-based petitions, NACARA, Naturalization/Citizenship, Removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
- Help completing forms, filings with USCIS, representation at Asylum Interviews, representation before the Immigration Court, Representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Federal court appeals
- Languages Spoken: Amharic, Hmong, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili
- Cost: Free or low-cost legal assistance
- How to access: Monday thru Friday
LawHelpMN
Minnesota Immigrant & Refugee Rights Helpline: 651-287-3715
- Services
- Understand your Legal Issue online resources
- Legal Directory – search by immigration topic
- Cost: No cost
- How to access: Helpline Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Advocates for Human Rights
330 Second Avenue South - Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN 55401 | 612-341-9845 | hrights@advrights.org
- Services: Asylum cases
- Cost: No cost
- How to access: Call the client line or complete the client intake form online
Private immigration lawyers
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Additional Resources
American Civil Liberties Union
- What do do when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Videos available to demonstrate how to interact in various situations
IMMA
- Identify your immigration options
- Learning Center about U.S. immigration law, Know Your Rights, etc.
- Search for help; find pro-bono representation
American Immigration Lawyers Association – Know Your Rights
- AILA provides Know Your Rights handouts for several scenarios: ICE worksite raids (for employers), ICE home visits, and ICE public stops.
- Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic and Haitian Creole
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
- Packet to help create a Family Preparedness Plan
- Available in English, Spanish and Chinese
This list was produced to enable immigrants to easily access important information on resources in the community. Organizations on this list should in no manner be construed as endorsed or sponsored by the City of Bloomington. The City specifically disavows legal responsibility for the information provided by the organization or individual. The information, views, positions, services or opinions provided by the organizations or individuals do not necessarily reflect the views, positions or opinions of the City of Bloomington.