Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Development (LEO) is encouraging private citizens to sponsor and support refugee families through its Office of Global Michigan.
The office’s goal is to make Michigan welcoming to immigrant, refugee, and ethnic communities by helping with initial housing, school enrollment, and job placement.
Citizens can now directly sponsor refugees from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela if they had already filed certain forms.
Poppy Hernandez, Michigan’s Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer and Director of the Office of Global Michigan, said, “The Office of Global Michigan’s goal is to make Michigan the home for opportunity for our immigrant, refugee and ethnic communities.”
“With expanded refugee resettlement pathways, everyday Michiganders can provide refuge and build a state where people are welcomed with open arms,” she continued.
Hernandez claimed, “Programs like the Welcome Corps advance the Office of Global Michigan’s mission to make Michigan the home for opportunity for our immigrant, refugee and ethnic communities.”
Adding, “Expanded refugee resettlement pathways empower more Michiganders to support our state’s growing refugee population and build a more welcoming and inclusive Michigan for all.”
According to the website, “Sponsors are expected to provide support to newly arrived refugees for 90 days.”
“There is substantial evidence indicating that the foreign-born population significantly contributes to the Michigan economy, introducing valuable diversity to the political landscape and enriching our social fabric. Immigrant households in Michigan wield an impressive $18 billion in annual spending power, with approximately 15% of business owners in Southeast Michigan being immigrants,” the site continues.
Sponsors are expected to provide 90 days of support.
The LEO argues refugees significantly contribute economically and introduce diversity, citing $18 billion in annual immigrant household spending in Michigan.
It supports the state’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts to build an inclusive state for all.
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