Legal Services
Find a Lawyer
Find a reputable private lawyer through the American Immigration Lawyers Association Attorney Search.
General Legal Assistance
You can call these organizations for consultation or advice, but their ability to represent you depends on their capacity and is not guaranteed.
- Advocates for Human Rights – Call 612-341-9845 or complete the online client intake form to request a consultation. Self-help resources are also available on their website. Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – Call 1-800-223-1368 to request a consultation. If you are detained by ICE or calling for someone in ICE custody, call 651-641-1011. Southern MN Regional Legal Services – Call 1-877-696-6529 or complete the online client intake form to request a consultation.
- Mid-MN Legal Aid (MMLA) – Call 1-877-696-6529 or 612-334-5970 to request a consultation.
- Legal Services of Northwest MN – Call 218-233-8585 or complete the online client intake form to request a consultation.
- Volunteer Lawyers Network – Call 612-752-6677 or complete the online client intake form to request a consultation.
- University of Minnesota Law School Center for New Americans, Detainee Rights Clinic – Immigration detainees in MN may call 612-625-5515 for free. Families and friends can send an email to detainee@umn.edu.
Asylum Resources
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Information about applying for asylum.
- If you are eligible for asylum, you may be allowed to stay in the U.S. To apply for asylum, you must file a Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (Español), within one year of arriving to the U.S. You can include your spouse and children on your asylum application when you file it or at any time before a final decision is made. To include your child, they must be under 21 and unmarried.
- If you have a pending asylum application, you may be eligible to apply for an employment authorization. To apply, you must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (Español) 150 days after you file your asylum application. You cannot receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) until your asylum application has been pending for at least another 30 days, totaling 180 days, often called the 180-Day Asylum EAD Clock.
- The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) created a detailed video "Deciding Whether to Apply for Asylum in the United States." The video also discusses other potential legal options, including T visa, U visa, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and more.
- Innovation Law Lab published a helpful video "Asylum: Your Case Is In Your Hands." Available in Español.
- LawHelpMN has created many self-help resources on immigration (Español).
- The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project has created many resources for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Minnesota Discrimination Law
Minnesota Human Rights Act
The Minnesota Human Rights Act is the state law prohibiting discrimination in Minnesota and is enforced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The state law prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, public services, education, credit, and business based on protected class, such as: race, religion, disability, national origin, sex, marital status, familial status, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Learn more about the prohibited practices and examples of illegal discrimination.
How to Report Discrimination
If you believe you were discriminated against, and/or asked about your current or past pay while applying for a job, the first step is to complete this form. That information goes directly to the investigation team at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
If you do not have access to the internet to complete this form, leave a message at 1-833-454-0148. Translation/interpretation services are available.
ICE/Immigration Court
If the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) processed you when you entered the country, it is very important to go to all check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and all immigration court hearings. If you miss even one hearing or check-in, you could be ordered to leave the country (deportation).
- You can learn more about your next immigration step or court date by calling 1-800-898-7180 or visiting the Automated Case Information System.
- You can learn more about what to expect the first time you go to Immigration Court in Minnesota and other resources by visiting LawHelpMN (Español).
- Visit the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Check-In site for information if you were released from custody along the southwest border of the U.S. and told to report to an ICE office.
- Find ICE locations, phone numbers and email addresses near you.
- Change of Address - If you have an immigration case and have moved, it is very important to tell the immigration court your new address as soon as possible. You can do so by filling out the Immigration Court Listing form. Fill out a separate form for each family member.
- Change of Venue - If you now live far from the immigration court where your hearing will take place, you can file a motion to change the location. This self-help guide (Español) was created by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR). Additional self-help resources about how to move your immigration hearing to a different court can be found on LawHelpMN.
I-94s
An I-94 Electronic Form is a record that shows the date you entered the U.S., your status and your departure date if you entered with valid documents. If you lost this form, you can get your most recent I-94 online (Español).
Protecting Yourself from Immigration Scams and Fraud
We do not want you to become a victim of an immigration scam or fraud. Many people and companies offer help with immigration services, but not all are authorized to do so. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice.
Only an attorney or accredited representative working for a Department of Justice-recognized organization can give you legal advice. In the U.S., "notarios", or Notaries, are NOT trained or authorized to assist in immigration matters or give legal guidance. To find an attorney, recognized organization, or accredited representative near you, call 1-877-696-6529 or visit the LawHelpMN website and select 'Immigration' under the 'Legal Topics' and then select your county (Español).
Visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Avoid Scams (Español) and the Federal Trade Commission's Scams against Immigrants (Español) page for information and resources on scams and fraud. You can also visit Stop Notario Fraud.
If you find you are a victim of an immigration scam, report the person or organization to the Minnesota Attorney General by calling 651-296-3353 (if you are in Minneapolis or St. Paul) or 1-800-657-3787 (If you are located outside of Minneapolis or St. Paul). You can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357, press 3 for a list of languages, and then 0 for more languages or at Report Fraud (Español).
Know Your Rights
Even if you do not have a legal immigration status, you still have rights when you are in the U.S.
For additional information, please visit the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota's Informed Immigrant's Know Your Rights webpage or American Immigration Lawyers Association's Know Your Rights Handouts.