History and Mission

Farmworker Legal Services ("FLS")

FLS is committed to ensuring immigrant, migrant, and seasonal farmworkers' equal access to economic and social justice through civil impact litigation in employment and civil rights cases.

Farmworkers have specialized legal needs that arise from their work in agriculture and the temporary and transitory nature of their work. Since 1997, FLS has advocated for the rights of farmworkers through its extensive network of community partnerships and the wide range of free civil legal services it provides to farmworkers. For over 25 years, FLS has conducted outreach at migrant labor camps throughout the state of Michigan; offered technical assistance, referrals, advice, and intake services to farmworkers through the statewide hotline; and represented farmworkers in cases involving  immigration, unlawful recruitment fees, wage theft, substandard housing or working conditions, retaliation, discrimination, and other exploitative schemes.

Since 2017, FLS and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center ("MIRC") have jointly staffed a toll-free hotline in order to provide technical assistance and a seamless intake process for low-wage immigrant and agricultural workers with employment, civil rights, and immigration-related cases.  

OUR PROGRAM

Farmworker Legal Services is a division of the Michigan Advocacy Program ("MAP:). In addition to the direct services provided by FLS, MAP provides low-income individuals and older adults in 13 counties direct representation at its local legal aid offices, Legal Services of South Central Michigan. The Michigan Advocacy Program also provides administrative services to a number of statewide programs, including Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, Michigan Poverty Law Program, Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project , and Michigan Legal Help Program.

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

FLS participates in the nine regional Migrant Resource Councils throughout the state as well as the Michigan Interagency Migrant Services Committee and its subcommittees, and various national advocacy networks in order to share information about the unique barriers and legal challenges faced by farmworkers and to collaborate regarding how best to ensure workers' equal access to economic and social justice.

OUR FUNDING

FLS is funded by the Legal Services Corporation, other grants and contracts, as well as private donations. Please help provide free civil legal assistance to low-income immigrant, migrant, and seasonal farmworkers by making a donation to FLS.