If someone you know is illegally detained, they might be able to get out of detention by filing a “Habeas Petition.” Fill out the information the best you can on a Risk of Detention Form. The information in this form can help with filing a Habeas Petition. Give the information to a lawyer.

Free Legal Help:
Call the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota at 651-641-1011. The “detention line” intake hours are Monday-Thursday: 1 – 3 p.m. The lawyers are free. Note: They don’t have enough lawyers to help everyone, but you should still apply.

Find a Paid Lawyer
Paid immigration lawyers in Minnesota are very busy right now. You might have to call many lawyers to find someone who can help. You usually pay lawyers a “retainer” to have them on call for you. A retainer is usually $5,000-$15,000. You may end up paying more, or you may get some back. The amount depends on the lawyer and your case. Here are 3 good places to look for paid lawyers:

• The Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) is a public service of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations. There are “referral counselors” who help connect people with private lawyers. Referral counselors are not lawyers, but they can:

  • give you general information about the legal process and the local legal community 
  • help you focus on the legal issues you're facing
  • figure out what area of law you need help with 
  • help you set up an appointment with a screened and qualified lawyer

  Lawyer Referral charges a $30 fee for the referral. Your first consultation with a lawyer is free. 
  
  Complete an online Self-Referral form or talk to a referral counselor by calling 612-752-6699 during regular business hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   

• To find lawyers, search www.ailalawyer.com. For Type of lawyer, choose "Detained Immigrants." For State/Province, choose Minnesota.
  
   
• The Advocates for Human Rights keeps a list of lawyers who help with immigration law. 

In special cases, like if the person detained needs their medicine, your U.S. Senator or Representative may be able to help. Minnesota has 2 U.S. Senators who represent the whole state. Minnesota has 8 U.S. Representatives who each represent one part of the state. Go to their websites to find out how to call them or send a request form for help.

• Find your U.S. Representative
• Senator Amy Klobuchar: Call 612-727-5220 for immigration help
• Senator Tina Smith: Call 651-221-1016

If you or someone you know needs their immigration bond paid, fill out the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund Intake Application. Do not fill out the application unless bond has been granted.

If they are detained in Texas, New Mexico, or Colorado, you can ask for help from Contigo Immigrant Justice.

• For help finding food and rent support:
   
  • call Monarca Rapid Response Line: (612) 441-2881
     
  • call COPAL Navigator Line: (612) 255-3112
     
  • call United Way 2-1-1: 
    • Toll Free: (800) 543-7709
    • Local: (651) 291-0211
    • Text your zip code to 898-211*
       
• For people detained by ICE, Conversations with Friends Programs can help get money added to their inmate account so they can talk to their families, give basic supply backpacks to people being deported, can meet and help people that are released, and more.   

• How to Find a Loved One After a U.S. Immigration Arrest
   
• Resources for People Detained or Worried About Being Detained
   
• Know Your Rights: What to Do if You Are Arrested or Detained by Immigration
   
• Immigration Bonds
   
• Renters’ Rights if You Were Detained or Afraid to Leave Your Home

Free Legal Help: 
VLN’s Deportation Preparedness Phone Service helps clients understand what they can do to take care of the family members, personal property, and financial obligations they may leave behind if they get detained or deported.

Apply to get free help.

Find a Paid Lawyer
Paid immigration lawyers in Minnesota are very busy right now. You might have to call many lawyers to find someone who can help. You usually pay lawyers a “retainer” to have them on call for you. A retainer is usually $5,000-$15,000. You may end up paying more, or you may get some back. The amount depends on the lawyer and your case. Here are 3 good places to look for paid lawyers:

• The Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) is a public service of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations. There are “referral counselors” who help connect people with private lawyers. Referral counselors are not lawyers, but they can:

  • give you general information about the legal process and the local legal community 
  • help you focus on the legal issues you're facing
  • figure out what area of law you need help with 
  • help you set up an appointment with a screened and qualified lawyer
     

  Lawyer Referral charges a $30 fee for the referral. Your first session with a lawyer is free. 
  
  Complete an online self-referral form or talk to a referral counselor by calling (612) 752-6699 during regular business hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   

• To find lawyers, search www.ailalawyer.com. For Type of lawyer, choose "Detained Immigrants." For State/Province, choose Minnesota.
   
• The Advocates for Human Rights keeps a list of lawyers who help with immigration law.

• Risk of Detention Form: If you are illegally detained, you might be able to get out of detention by filing a “Habeas Petition.” Fill out the information the best you can on the form. Make sure a trusted friend or family member has the form so they can give it to a lawyer if you are detained.
   
• Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA): this is a document that lets someone take care of your children if you are detained or deported.
   
• Power of Attorney: this is a document that lets someone take care of property or money matters for you if you are detained or deported.
   
• Passports for Children Born in the U.S.: If you get deported and want your children to join you, it is a good idea to make sure your children have passports ahead of time.

• For help finding food and rent support:
   
  • call Monarca Rapid Response Line: (612) 441-2881
     
  • call COPAL Navigator Line: (612) 255-3112
     
  • call United Way 2-1-1: 
    • Toll Free: (800) 543-7709
    • Local: (651) 291-0211
    • Text your zip code to 898-211*

• VLN Deportation Preparedness Manual
   
• Deportation Planning Manual
   
• Making Sure Your Family is Ready if you Get Deported
   
• Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA)
   
• Powers of Attorney
   
• Passports for Children Born in the U.S.
   
• Renters’ Rights if You Were Detained or Afraid to Leave Your Home

• If you get called in for an ICE or ISAP check-in, read this information for how to prepare.
   
• Do not answer your door without a judicial warrant. If someone knocks on your door or rings the doorbell, DO NOT answer your door unless you know who it is. See the difference between a Judicial Warrant and an ICE Warrant.
   
• If you don't have a Green Card or Citizenship: Try not to go out if you don’t need to. Have a US Citizen or Green Card family member or trusted friend run errands. Think about having your groceries delivered. For more help, like finding food and rent support, call the Monarca Rapid Response Line at (612) 441-2881, or the COPAL Navigator Line at (612) 255-3112. 
   
• Make copies of all of your immigration paperwork. If you go out, take copies of your paperwork with you. Always leave another copy at home.
   
• If you are detained, they may tell you to sign an order of deportation. You do not have to sign. If you sign, you cannot fight your case anymore.
   
• Green Card Holders: Make sure your green card is current. You MUST carry it with you. Make a copy and keep it at home or in another safe place. 
   
• U.S. Citizens: You have the right to refuse to answer questions about your citizenship. BUT you can choose to answer questions to make it easier. If you want to carry proof of your citizenship, a passport card is easier to carry than an actual passport. It is also cheaper. Learn how to get a passport card. 
   
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing People: 
  • ASL video: Know Your Rights: Effective Communication in ICE Interactions
  • Traffic stop communication cards for drivers who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing  

If you believe federal law enforcement violated your constitutional rights, you can report the incident to the Minnesota Attorney General using the Federal Action Reporting Form. The ACLU of Minnesota also has a form you can use if you think your rights were violated: Report unlawful conduct by Federal Agents to ACLU-MN.

If you or someone you know was detained for protesting or being a legal observer: Call the National Lawyers Guild at (612) 444-2654. 

If you are a Native American who believes ICE violated your rights: call the Native American Rights Fund at (303) 447-8760 or email at rfa@narf.org.

• Resources for People Detained or Worried About Being Detained
   
• ICE and ISAP Check-Ins
   
• ICE Watch Legal for FAQs and legal guidance for protesters, observers, and witnesses
   
• We Have Rights video series
   
• Your Rights to Record and Observe Law Enforcement
   
• Know Your Rights Red Card you can print at home

Under the U.S. Constitution, you can film what you can easily see from a public space. This includes when law enforcement does things in public. For example, arresting someone on a public street or in a front yard if you can see it from the public sidewalk. 

BUT it is not legal for you to interfere with (try to stop) what law enforcement does. They may ask you to stay a reasonable distance away. Staying 8-10 feet away is usually a good distance.

Remember: Situations can change and escalate quickly. Just because you have the legal right to observe law enforcement does not mean you will stay safe. Use your instincts and common sense to decide if you are comfortable observing.

If you or someone you know was detained for protesting or being a legal observer, call the National Lawyers Guild at (612) 444-2654. 

• Your Rights to Record and Observe Law Enforcement
   
• ICE Watch Legal

Minnesota's Immigration Legal Services Hub Initiative

Check for Hub Legal Clinics in your area. Clinics are in-person and by phone. Meet with a lawyer for 30 minutes to get legal advice. Sometimes they can help you with paperwork.

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) 

• Current DACA holders
• Applicants for U.S. Citizenship
• Refugees and asylees who want to get their green card (residency)
• Non-U.S. citizen children abandoned, abused, or neglected by their parents
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applicants and current TPS holders
• Non-U.S. citizen survivors of human trafficking
• Non-U.S. citizen survivors of certain violent crimes
• Non-U.S. citizen survivors of abuse or domestic violence
• People who are detained by ICE

Learn more about the types of cases ILCM can help with.

Clients must live in Minnesota or North Dakota. 

Clients must make 187.5% or below the federal poverty guidelines.

If your loved one is detained by ICE, call 651-641-1011, Monday-Thursday: 1 – 3 p.m. 

For all other cases, call 1-800-223-1368
    Monday: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
    Tuesday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
    Wednesday: Temporarily Closed
    Thursday: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Hennepin County Adult Representation Services

• Advice and answer immigration-related questions
• Eligibility to improve your immigration status
• Help apply for immigration benefits like citizenship, work authorization, U and T visas, permanent residency, and document replacements
• Advice for people at risk of immigration enforcement actions
• Attorneys to help get you out of immigration detention (a “habeas petition” process)
• Immigrant youth in petitions for at-risk guardianship
• Limited or full representation in immigration court for select cases
• Does NOT usually help with asylum cases or standalone asylum applications

Clients must live in Hennepin County

Call 612-348-7012, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Or send an online application.

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MLMA) 

• permanent residents applying for citizenship
• people applying for certain types of permanent residency
• immigrant youth and seniors 
• victims of crime, domestic violence and human trafficking applying for immigration status
• medically vulnerable people who need immigration status to access medical insurance
• detained immigrants in deportation proceedings

Clients must live in one of these Central Minnesota counties: Hennepin, Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Chippewa, Chisago, Isanti, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Renville, Sherburne, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Wright, Yellow Medicine.

Clients must make 200% or below the federal poverty guidelines. 

Call 612-332-1441, Mondays 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. or Thursdays 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. and ask for "immigration intake." 

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS)

• refugees, asylees, U or T visa holders, and a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders apply to adjust status to a lawful permanent resident (LPR)
• permanent residents apply to become US citizens and replace lost, stolen, or expiring documents
• survivors of domestic violence and violent crimes and their qualified family members obtain legal immigration status
• agricultural workers in Minnesota and North Dakota, through the Agricultural Worker Program

Clients must live in one of these Southern Minnesota counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, McLeod, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona.

Clients must make 200% or below the federal poverty guidelines. 

Call 1-877-696-6529, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, 12:30 pm-3:00 pm

Send an online application.

The Advocates for Human Rights 

• people seeking asylum
• unaccompanied children
• people in immigration detention
• people who have been victims of human trafficking.

Clients must live in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota.

Clients must make 200% or below the federal poverty guidelines. 

Call 612-341-9845 Tuesday, 10:00 - 12:00 or Thursday, 12:00 - 2:00.

Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) 

Clients must live in Minnesota. 

Clients must make 300% or below the federal poverty guidelines.

Deportation Preparedness Phone Service helps clients understand what they can do to take care of the family members, personal property, and financial obligations they may leave behind if they get detained or deported.  

Apply to get free Deportation Preparedness Phone Services

Phone advice and in-person clinics give clients free legal advice in most types of family and humanitarian-based immigration cases. Volunteer lawyers cannot represent you in immigration court. They also cannot help with non-immigrant cases (like a student visa) or employment-based immigration cases. They cannot help people who are detained. 

To apply for free phone advice, call (612) 752-6677 on Monday – Thursday, 10:00am to 1:00pm.

See the list of in-person clinic: Go to www.vlnmn.org/help/clinics and scroll to Community Clinics. 

Paid immigration lawyers in Minnesota are very busy right now. You might have to call many lawyers to find someone who can help. You usually pay lawyers a “retainer” to have them on call for you. A retainer is usually $5,000-$15,000. You may end up paying more, or you may get some back. The amount depends on the lawyer and your case. Here are 3 good places to look for paid lawyers:

• The Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) is a public service of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations. There are “referral counselors” who help connect people with private lawyers. Referral counselors are not lawyers, but they can:

  • give you general information about the legal process and the local legal community 
  • help you focus on the legal issues you're facing
  • figure out what area of law you need help with 
  • help you set up an appointment with a screened and qualified lawyer

  Lawyer Referral charges a $30 fee for the referral. Your first consultation with a lawyer is free. 
  
  Complete an online self-referral form or talk to a referral counselor by calling (612) 752-6699 during regular business hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   

• To find lawyers, search www.ailalawyer.com. For Type of lawyer, choose "Detained Immigrants." For State/Province, choose Minnesota.
   
• The Advocates for Human Rights keeps a list of lawyers who help with immigration law.

COPAL MN Navigator Line: (612) 255-3112
COPAL’s Navigators focus on linking community members to a variety of resources, from food assistance to mental health support and more.

• Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
   

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN): (612) 206-3360
Available Monday-Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

MONARCA Rapid Response Line: (612) 441-2881

Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN) Immigration Assistance Hotline: (800) 251-1083
Emergency line for Southeast Asian community members. They speak Khmre, Hmong, Vietnamese, and Lao. Call for questions about your immigration or deportation cases. They are not lawyers, but they can connect you to lawyers. Available 24/7.