Mission

Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates (LIA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit law office and advocacy center seeking to bring social and economic stability to West Michigan families through legal services, education, and advocacy.

What We Do

Founded in November 2015, Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law office and advocacy center seeking to bring social and economic stability to West Michigan communities through legal services, advocacy, and education.

Access to high-quality, affordable legal services is a fundamental need among the large immigrant community in West Michigan, and LIA is the only organization in Ottawa County providing these services. LIA's Legal Services Program offers direct immigration legal services for a nominal fee to those living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). For those who live above 200 percent of the FPG, our fees are based on a sliding scale according to each family's income level. By charging per process instead of per hour, our team is able to provide high-quality services to families at lower costs than those provided by private immigration attorneys. Legal services provided by LIA include processes that 1) reunite families 2) keep families from being separated 3) help individuals become naturalized citizens and 4) bring humanitarian relief to victims fleeing violence. The program has served nearly 2,500 individuals, averaging 513 per year.

Our organization also believes that community education is fundamental to realizing equity, inclusion, and social justice for immigrants and refugees. LIA staff members regularly visit churches, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, businesses, and schools, providing a variety of workshops on immigration law and policy. LIA also offers valuable experience to young people through internship opportunities for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in law, social work, and other fields.

Finally, LIA plays a role in addressing long standing anti-immigrant policies at the local, state, and national levels, as well as working to ensure that the rights of immigrants are being upheld and respected by organizations and employers that may be consciously or unconsciously violating those rights.