Mission Spotlight June 2026:
Immigration Law and Justice (ILJ-MI)

 

Immigration Law and Justice (ILJ-MI) provides free or low-cost legal services, advocating for people of every race, nationality, religion, age, gender, and sexual orientation who have come to the U.S seeking freedom, safety and opportunity.

 

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.”    Exodus 23:9 

By Zeke Fleet, CUMC Missions Committee and Marcelo Betti, ILJ-MI Legal Director

Dahlia’s Story

Dahlia, (pseudonym), first contacted the Traverse City office of Immigration Law & Justice Michigan (ILJ-MI) then known as Justice for Our Neighbors) in 2015. Since she was undocumented and a survivor of domestic violence, she was eligible to apply for a U visa, a specific legal benefit available to certain crime victims who help law enforcement investigate and prosecute the perpetrator. ILJ-MI prepared and submitted her paperwork that fall. 

Dahlia waited for more than five years until the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) approved her case and granted her “U” status. Three years later, with assistance from ILJ-MI, Dahlia finally became eligible to apply for permanent residence (the “green card”). At long last, earlier this year, Dahlia received her green card (on her birthday, of all days!), concluding a nearly 11-year journey to permanent status.

Dahlia is one of approximately 1,000 clients assisted by ILJ-MI’s Traverse City office. ILJ-MI is the only organization of its kind in Northern Michigan. 

Humanitarian Services Provided by ILJ-MI

• ILJ-MI establishes relationships with foreign nationals and offers information and legal advice to help them navigate the U.S. immigration system.
• ILJ-MI helps applicants secure green cards, citizenship, asylum, temporary protected status (TPS), special immigrant juvenile status, and visas for victims of domestic violence and other crimes.
• ILJ-MI provides education, family preparedness, and advocacy for applicants.

ILJ-MI also has offices in Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. The Traverse City office currently has more than 50 percent of organization’s clients, including nearly 150 individuals from Ukraine and 40 from Mexico. Since 2015, the Traverse City office has assisted clients from more than 70 different nationalities. In addition to Ukraine, other well-represented countries include Afghanistan, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. 

Central UMC’s Relationship with ILJ-MI

ILJ-MI’s association with the United Methodist Church originated when the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) established Justice for Our Neighbors in 1999. ILJ-MI is now one of a network of 16 affiliated sites with more than 200 immigration attorneys and staff members stretched across several states. 

Central UMC has identified ILJ-MI as an essential faith-based mission. Central UMC provides office space for ILJ-MI at no cost for staff or clients. Despite having only one attorney (legal director Marcelo Betti) and one legal assistant (Carolina Llamosas Iaconelli), the Traverse City office provides crucial aid to a vulnerable population in an underserved region. 

The ILJ-MI Traverse City Office – Making a Major Difference for Those Seeking Assistance

• Since 2020, ILJ-MI in Traverse City has assisted 769 clients and handled 1,682 cases/applications.
• For Ukrainian clients specifically, ILJ-MI in Traverse City currently has 92 applications pending for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and 67 applications pending for re-parole currently pending with the USCIS.  
• ILJ-MI in Traverse City currently has the following pending with USCIS:
• 77 green card-related applications.
• 50 “standalone” employment authorization applications, (not including the employment authorization requests submitted along with TPS and re-parole applications) 
• 29 humanitarian cases (asylum, VAWA, U visa, Special Immigrant Juvenile, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

How you can help . . .

Your prayers and financial contributions can make a major difference with efforts to assist immigrants.

• Select the “Missions” dropdown when giving online (donate online here) and specify “ILJ-MI Traverse City” or use the QR code for online donations,
• Specify ILJ-MI Traverse City on your checks when making in-person church offerings or contributions to the Gathering Space bucket.
• For direct donations, please go to iljmi.org and  click on the “DONATE” button at the top of the homepage. Then click “ANNUAL INITIATIVE” and designate “Traverse City.”