Farmworker Legal Services of Michigan - Home Page
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Farmworker Legal Services (FLS) is a legal aid office with attorneys and other legal staff who provide free legal assistance and referrals to migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout the state of Michigan. FLS is a division of Legal Services of South Central Michigan, a non-profit organization funded primarily by the federal Legal Services Corporation.
WHAT'S NEW:
July 21, 2010:
· The 2020 Statewide Immigrant Rights Summit is on Friday, July 30, in Lansing. You can see the agenda here, and the registration form here.
June 21, 2010:
· You can read the recent Michigan Department of Civil Rights report on the conditions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Michigan by clicking here.
March 22, 2010:
· Farmworker Legal Services is moving its office! As of March 23, 2010, we will be located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our address will be:
Farmworker Legal Services
3030 South 9th St., Suite 1A
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Our toll-free phone number for clients will remain 1-800-968-4046. We will have a new local phone and fax number:
Tel: (269) 492-7190
Fax: (269) 492-7198
March 21, 2010:
· For the second time in less than three years, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth (DELEG) has settled a lawsuit brought by U.S. workers claiming that the Department failed to provide services to U.S. workers seeking employment at Michigan farms using the H2A foreign guestworker program. Farmworker Legal Services represents the U.S. workers in this case. For more details, see the press release here.
February 12, 2010:
· The Michigan Statewide Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition has a website that lists several resources for Michigan residents who would like FREE help in preparing their 2009 taxes. Spanish-speakers can also receive free help. Please see the flyers here: English and Spanish.
Go to http://www.michiganeic.org/taxpayers and there are two options for assistance.
First, click on "Free Tax Preparation Sites in Michigan" on the left side of the screen, and then click on "Click Here" to download a county-by-county list of free sites around Michigan. A few of the county sites indicate that Spanish-language assistance is available. It may be a good idea to call the site before attending to find out if there is an income limit for assistance.
Second, taxpayers can prepare their own federal and state taxes using the free online "ICAN E-FILE" website. Taxpayers can also e-file their federal return and Michigan return for free. From http://www.michiganeic.org/taxpayers click on "Click Here to access ICAN! E-File". The site is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. On the ICAN! E-FILE site, click on "Espanol" at the top to prepare your taxes using the Spanish site. There is no income limit to use the free ICAN E-FILE site. Any Michigan resident can use the site.
The free E-file service is especially useful to low-income taxpayers who might otherwise pay a tax preparation business hundreds of dollars for the "convenience" of receiving a Refund Anticipation Loan (formerly known as a "rapid refund"). The rapid refund fees take money out of the pocket of those who need it the most. By E-filing their returns and choosing to have their refunds direct deposited into their bank accounts, taxpayers could get their refunds in as little as 10 days.
Please encourage everyone - especially low income farmworkers - to take advantage of the free resources for preparing their 2009 taxes so that they keep as much money in their pocket as possible.
January 2010:
· We are now accepting applications for our 2010 summer internship. You can find more information about our internship on our Summer Internships / Hiring page.
March 2009:
· We have posted our list of current state legislation that could potentially affect farmworkers or immigrants in Michigan. The list can be found here or in the Current Issues and Advocacy section of our site.
February 2009:
· Farmworker Legal Services has created an educational flyer describing the rights of people in Michigan to drive using their valid foreign or out of state driver's licenses. We hope that the flyer helps to avoid the confusion that some people face about the necessity to obtain a Michigan driver's license. A Michigan license is not the only way to drive legally within the state. The flyer can be found in English here, or in Spanish here.
