Center for New Americans Honored by Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota has named the Law School’s Center for New Americans as its 2016 National Advocate of the Year. In announcing the award, ILCM executive director John Keller said that the Center’s “commitment to immigrant and refugee issues over the past year was tremendous,” citing its U.S. Supreme Court victory in Mellouli v. Holder, and praising its “ongoing commitment to educating our next generation of lawyers in immigration issues.”

Commenting on the award, Professor Ben Casper ('97), director of the Center, said, “I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished with the ILCM and the other partners who helped create the center just three short years ago. This award confirms the power of our partnerships. It is a tribute to the extraordinary impact that our students, staff, and faculty have made by working with our partners—both in the law and the lives of our clients. We couldn't be more honored or grateful.”

The ILCM is a nonprofit agency that provides immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The organization, one of the members of the Center’s unique university/law firm/nonprofit founding partnership, also works to educate Minnesota communities and professionals about immigration matters, and advocates for state and federal policies that respect the universal human rights of immigrants.

The Center will receive its National Advocate of the Year Award at the ILCM’s 20th anniversary gala, to be held Sept. 9 at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel. The event, whose theme is “Everyone Has a Story,” will feature entertainment by author and radio personality Garrison Keillor and musicians Maria Isa and Nachito Herrera.