Listen "MIRC: Fighting for Immigrant Rights in Michigan "
Episode Synopsis
Ruby Robinson, the Managing Attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), joins us to discuss the organization he has been a part of for the last decade. MIRC is a legal resource center for Michigan’s immigrants and advocates through education and training about immigration law and the complex relationship between immigration status and immigrants’ rights in areas including access to public benefits, family law and child welfare, civil rights, and worker’s rights.
Ruby is a managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. He focuses primarily on humanitarian relief for victims of domestic violence/crime and naturalization matters. He knows the immigration consequences for criminal behavior, specifically Michigan offenses. Ruby graduated from Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan. Before joining MIRC, he worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid. During law school, Ruby was a student attorney with the school’s Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic. Before law school, Ruby served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in Brooklyn, NY.
Abril Valdes Siewert has dedicated her career to helping vulnerable communities. She is the owner and principal attorney of Valdes Law, PLLC. Most recently, Ms. Siewert worked under immigration guru Robert Birach as a Senior Associate Attorney. She served as the Immigrant Rights Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, where she co-authored the Michigan Crimmigration resource guide. She was also a Staff Attorney for Honigman’s immigration group and has worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid’s Center for Advocacy Law Line, guiding in pro per clients through claims in various district courts. Ms. Siewert is licensed in the state of Michigan and California. Ms. Siewert received her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her B.A. in English from California State University Los Angeles. She is a Governor appointed Commissioner for the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Vice-Chair for the State Bar of Michigan’s Immigration Law Section, co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion committee for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and Board of Director for the Hispanic Bar Association.
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Ruby is a managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. He focuses primarily on humanitarian relief for victims of domestic violence/crime and naturalization matters. He knows the immigration consequences for criminal behavior, specifically Michigan offenses. Ruby graduated from Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan. Before joining MIRC, he worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid. During law school, Ruby was a student attorney with the school’s Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic. Before law school, Ruby served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in Brooklyn, NY.
Abril Valdes Siewert has dedicated her career to helping vulnerable communities. She is the owner and principal attorney of Valdes Law, PLLC. Most recently, Ms. Siewert worked under immigration guru Robert Birach as a Senior Associate Attorney. She served as the Immigrant Rights Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, where she co-authored the Michigan Crimmigration resource guide. She was also a Staff Attorney for Honigman’s immigration group and has worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid’s Center for Advocacy Law Line, guiding in pro per clients through claims in various district courts. Ms. Siewert is licensed in the state of Michigan and California. Ms. Siewert received her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her B.A. in English from California State University Los Angeles. She is a Governor appointed Commissioner for the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Vice-Chair for the State Bar of Michigan’s Immigration Law Section, co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion committee for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and Board of Director for the Hispanic Bar Association.
Learn more about WLAM on our website and social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter.
WLAM allows its supporters to sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website here to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.
WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email [email protected].
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