Minneapolis is putting a historic amount of money into immigration legal services, committing more than $1 million after the city council unanimously approved measures expanding support for residents facing complex federal enforcement and court proceedings.

“I think that it’s very important to recognize that this is the largest amount of money that has ever been dedicated to the provision of immigration legal services, and it truly is transformational,” said Michelle Rivero, The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) director.

She said the money comes from three sources: $275,000 already in the city budget for immigration legal services, $246,418 previously approved for 2026, and an additional $500,000 that the city council shifted from the Minneapolis Fire Department’s budget.

“We’re using the fire department and then refilling that with public safety aid,” Council Member Jason Chavez said during the Feb. 3 City Council meeting. He added, “We won’t be losing any services, except taking money from the public safety aid that was remaining and unallocated.”

Rivero said the measures allow the city to increase contract amounts with its five legal service providers and disburse funds more quickly to meet rising demand.

“Our legal service providers are reporting a surge in people reaching out for help,” she said.

Rivero said the providers are Volunteer Lawyers Network, The Advocates for Human Rights, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and the International Institute of Minnesota.

“We’re in a time of really increased demand, and also demand that’s different than anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Madeline Lohman, Advocacy & Outreach Director for The Advocates for Human Rights.

She said most of their clients have historically been asylum seekers.

“We just in the last few weeks had to start figuring out how to help refugees that had been arrested, which is a population that has never needed our services before because they have legal status,” Lohman said.

Rivero said the funding supports legal consultations, representation for people in detention, and partnerships with community‑based organizations that assist residents navigating immigration cases. The providers give free legal representation for immigration cases to low‑income households or people who cannot afford to hire a private attorney.

“If you don’t have an attorney, 80% of cases in Minnesota end in deportation,” Lohman said. “If you do have an attorney, 26 percent of cases end in deportation, and that’s the difference that legal representation makes.”

She also said immigration cases differ from criminal cases because there is no court‑appointed attorney system.

“We see children, and some of them may be 16 or 17 years old, but some are six, four, and they need to figure out how to win an immigration case as a six‑year‑old, so they need an attorney, and the federal government is not going to provide one. So that’s where money like the City of Minneapolis’s new funding really makes a difference,” Lohman said.

Rivero said the office has found it difficult to quantify the increased need across the city, but hopes the funding will help meet it.

“The reality is there will be continuing impacts for the community. And so one of the important focal points is how to utilize this funding in a way that supports community members for the long haul in the long term,” she said.

For Related Stories: immigration Enforcement  Minneapolis City Council