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Taste of Justice

Wed. March 15, 2017 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT

Migrant Legal Aid

 

Cup of Justice

Fri. June 23, 2017

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT

The Mines Golf Course

 

Harvest of Justice

Wed. September 20, 2017 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT

Versluis Orchards


 


 

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 Michigan Migrant Legal Aid Feb. 2017

The Superbowl ad FOX news didn't want you to see. This is the reality for our clients at  Migrant Legal Aid . Please watch.
Some Farm Workers May Not Qualify For Minimum Wage

Do minimum wage laws apply to certain migrant farm workers? It's a question Rep. Andy  SCHOR  (D-Lansing) and two state agencies are now asking the Attorney General.

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) last month reacted to what it said was a change in how the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) interprets the law (See "Civil Rights: 6 Times The Amount Of Hate-Bias Reports Since Election," 12/5/16). 

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The question for them, he said, is: "Do you stand with Trump and support his pledge to deport undocumented immigrants, including many farmworkers, or do you stand with farmworkers, immigrants, the folks who work so hard to ensure that the food is brought to our tables every day."
 
Fourteen farmworkers who worked for Arrellano's Fresh Market for years, filed a federal lawsuit for their claims that they were underpaid --or not paid at all-- and for worker protection violations.   The group participated in Voluntary Facilitative Mediation this month, during their pursuit of wages and worker protection damages through the federal courts.  Their employer, who they say used intimidation, threats, and coercion to trample their rights and scare them from taking any action against him, is no longer dealing with a submissive group.  Emboldened by Migrant Legal Aid attorneys, the workers are holding Arrellano accountable, including, seeing him jailed for failing to cooperate with a court order, having to defend himself in court, and participating in efforts to resolve the dispute prior to trial.
 
25-year-old migrant worker, living in farm quarters in Colorado for the last 8 weeks, now has a confirmed case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). 

Though the plans are merely under discussion, they reinforce Trump's commitment to anti-immigration policies - an agenda that also includes his proposed wall along the US-Mexico border and the deportation of undocumented immigrants. 

The Family Farm Relief Act of 2017 requires a user-friendly system to end complicated requirements on advertising and prevailing practice surveys.  This legislation allows farm cooperatives to apply for workers, makes the program more usable for dairy and other livestock operations and requires reporting to Congress if any delays in the H-2A application process occurs. 
According to a recent report by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), 50-70% of the 1.5-2 million people working in agriculture today are undocumented. If the agriculture sector were to eliminate all undocumented workers, the US would be left with $30-60 billion of food production loss. 
Donations sought to replace Grand Rapids' deteriorating MLK, Chavez street signs

Grand Rapids is looking for $36,000 in public donations to replace 170 signs on the two streets that are named after Cesar E. Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. 

In addition to the stress of working illegally, especially with recent news of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deporting illegal immigrants, a recent investigation by The Philadelphia Tribune revealed the unsafe transportation to and from fields where migrant farmers work. Layer on to that many workers' poverty and reluctance to obtain health care, and you can see how migrant farmworkers-some who are as far as 4,000 miles away from home and their traditional medicinal practices-live daily with aches, pain and strains.

A panel on immigration policy addressed the impact of the DACA immigration policy at the national level and at the university. Participants include Karma Chavez, associate professor of Mexican American and Latina/o studies at the University of Texas; Silvia Pedraza, UM professor of sociology and American culture; Jorge Delva, UM professor of social work; and UM engineering student Dulce Rios. Lorraine Gutierrez, U-M professor of psychology and social work, served as the moderator.

During their personal lunch hour on January 26th, migrant and refugee advocates gathered in solidarity to show support for immigrants who are the subject of recent presidential executive orders banning entry to the US.
Our Nations Leading Employment Lawyers Denounce Exec Section in Public Statement


President Donald Trump's 
Immigration Executive Orders
Demean America's Core Values


America has always been a land of immigrants. Our nation's diversity is one of its greatest assets and should be encouraged, protected, and treasured. The community of lawyers who comprise the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), as well as the thousands of workers they represent, reflect the multiplicity of races, ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds of America. Our steadfast advocacy on behalf of workers is rooted in our shared commitment to ensuring equality and justice for all. 

President Trump's recent executive order denying entry to the United States to immigrants, visitors, and refugees from seven majority Muslim nations, and building a wall to separate us from our neighbors in Mexico, demean America's values and fairness, equality, due process, and compassion. Any kind of government action that discriminates against individuals on the basis of religion or national origin is antithetical to these values and cannot be tolerated. 

NELA condemns President Trump's executive orders on immigration, and will redouble our efforts to fight injustice and discrimination. 
MLA is dedicated to defending and preserving farmworker jobs, dignity, health, income, and legal rights.  
 
Sincerely,  
Teresa Hendricks
Migrant Legal Aid
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