Have a resource? Email details to [email protected]. Tell us if the resource is specific to one campus or system-wide. Resources should support immigration needs (legal, counseling or other support services) and be available to students, staff or faculty.
Please Note: International students and scholars should contact the international student office for their campus.
Legal Resources
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc.
Eligibility: low-income and senior citizen (people over 60 year old) in southern Minnesota
Website
Telephone: 1-888-575-2954 or (507) 377-7401
Services:
- Free, high-quality legal help to low-income people in critical civil matters.
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association
Nonprofit working with the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (see above)
Eligibility: Low-income individuals in need of immigration services, particularly refugees and asylees
Website
Telephone: (888) 575-2954 (toll free available M-F 9a-12p and 1p-3:30p
Location: 2500 Valleyhigh Drive NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Services:
- Assists low-income refugees and asylees to navigate permanent residency, citizenship and other immigration procedures.
- Works in conjunction with the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services;
- Interpreting and translation services for immigration and legal documents;
- Provides services to recently arrived refugee students and parents to improve academic achievement, practice leadership competencies and skills, and enhance emotional and parent/family relationships;
- Social services to address needs of new Americans of all ages, connecting individuals and families to stable housing, transportation, immigration assistance, human services, community resources, cultural orientation, financial education, training opportunities and employment support.
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County
Nonprofit serving Olmsted, Dodge and Fillmore counties
Eligibility: Free civil legal services to low-income people in Olmsted, Dodge and Fillmore counties; free legal clinics available for advice (but not representation) for all income levels.
Website
Email
Telephone: 507-287-2036
Location: 1700 N. Broadway, Suite 124, Rochester, MN
Services:
- Free legal clinics for residents of Olmsted, Dodge and Fillmore counties. Volunteer attorneys provide free legal advice but do not represent cases
Volunteer Lawyers Network
Eligibility: Serves low-income people in Minnesota. Call the in-take line or complete the online intake form to see if you qualify.
Website and Intake Information
Email
Client In-take Line: 612-752-6677
Services:
- Volunteer lawyers provide legal services in most types of civil issues, such as housing, bankruptcy, family, criminal expungement and debt collection
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Eligibility: Immigrant and refugee families whose household income is 187.5 percent below federal poverty guidelines.
Review ILCM's website for hours and the types of cases served
Email
Telephone: 651-641-1011
Client Line: 1-800-223-1368
Location: 450 North Syndicate Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55104 Also has legal staff in Worthington, Austin and Moorhead
Advocates for Human Rights
Eligibility: Represents asylum seekers
Website
Email
Telephone: 612-341-3302
Immigrant Client Line: 612-341-9845
Location: 330 Second Avenue South, Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Services:
- Partners pro bono attorneys with local immigration law experts to deliver client-centered legal case management for asylum seekers
- Advocates for U.S. immigration policies that respect human rights and monitors U.S. compliance with international human rights obligations
- Works to combat anti-immigrant sentiment through public outreach and education
LawHelpMN.org
An online resource to help people of low and moderate incomes find free legal aid programs in their communities and answer questions about legal rights and forms. Information is specific to Minnesota and offered in several different languages. Review the section on immigration and immigrants.
Counseling Services
UMR Counseling Services
Eligibility: UMN Rochester students who paid the Student Services Fee
Telephone: 507-258-8017
Website
Location: USquare 374 (SESC), Rochester
Services:
- Personal counseling, healthy habits, decision making and relationship counseling.
Learn to Live
Eligibility: Free for all Student Services Fee-paying UMN students on all system campuses.
Web: Visit Learn to Live and enter code “UMN”
Services:
- Free online programs for stress, depression and social anxiety.
- Resources include individual assessments and self-paged programs.
Employee Assistance Program
Eligibility: All benefits-eligible employees on all system campuses, along with spouse and dependent children.
Telephone: 888-243-5744 or 612-625-2820
Website
Services:
- Can meet with counselor on-campus or off-campus
- Appointment arranged with the counselor
- Up to eight counseling sessions at no cost
Immigrants Rising Wellness Support Groups
Please note: These groups are not affiliated with the University of Minnesota.
Immigrants Rising arranges virtual wellness support groups for undocumented young people. Please refer to the Immigrants Rising website for more information.
Other Support Services
Scholarships for Undocumented Students
In addition to the UMN's Dream Fund, the following organizations have compiled lists of scholarships for undocumented students.
Please Note: We are providing these links for informational purposes. We do not have any additional information.
Community Health Service, Inc.
Eligibility: Primarily for agricultural workers; Income-based sliding fee scale for charges.
Telephone: 507-529-0503
Location: 1926 Collegeview Rd SE, Rochester, MN 55904
Services:
- Prenatal & Chronic Disease care; case management and voucher referrals; dental, medical, vision care services
- Bilingual Spanish-speaking staff
MN Department of Human Rights Discrimination Hotline
Eligibility: Anyone who experienced or witnessed discrimination or bias within Minnesota
Website
Phone Number: 1-833-454-0148
More information:
- Filling out this form does not mean you filed a charge of discrimination. Investigators will review the information submitted to determine if the reported incident is covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
- This chart explains what happens after someone reports discrimination or bias.
- Individuals have up to one year to report the alleged act of discrimination to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.