LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Like New York City, Michigan is spending taxpayer dollars and using other resources to support foreigners who are coming into the United States. With an estimated 125,000 illegal aliens arriving in NYC in the past year, resources are getting scarce and FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) is reporting that residents of a New York City Housing Authority in Brooklyn who had lined up to get a free turkey for Thanksgiving found out that the migrants had beat them to it and had taken all of the turkeys.
But turkeys aren’t the only things that are scarce in the Big Apple. NYC Democratic Mayor Eric Adams is warning their citizens that services for their residents including those for schools, social services, homeless services, fire, police, and hospitals will most likely be cut soon because the money needed to spend on illegal aliens coming into their city is cutting into their budget.
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Luckily, the state of Michigan hasn’t come to that breaking point yet but they do continue to use taxpayer money, governmental departments and other resources to fund services for foreigners who come into the state. They also work with non-profit organizations, churches and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to help provide services such as housing, education, jobs and healthcare for those who have crossed the borders of the United States illegally and those who claim refugee status.
In order to network the many groups who offer services to foreigners, LEO (Labor & Economic Opportunity) Office of Global Michigan (OGM) hosted a two-day partner forum on November 14th and 15th centered on improving immigrant and refugee services. It was called “Aligning Partnerships to Make Michigan Welcoming and Inclusive” and it brought together over 100 partners from across the state. During the meetings, OGM highlighted their strategic plan for FY24-26 and facilitated discussions aimed at fortifying collaboration and communication.
According to LEO, key highlights involved “addressing community feedback on the needs, challenges and opportunities related to welcoming refugees and immigrants, both on a routine and ad hoc basis. Discussion topics included resettlement trends, types of sponsors, the housing landscape, capacity considerations from the K-12 perspective, health capacity from medical screenings to medical homes and consultation processes. The comprehensive discussions reflected a commitment to enhancing support systems and fostering meaningful partnerships in service of Michigan’s diverse immigrant and refugee populations, while creating a more inclusive and welcoming state.”
Panelists included Susan Corbin, Director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; Ben Cabanaw, Deputy Director of OGM; Kelly Alvarez, English Learner Consultant at the Michigan Department of Education; Lisa Brewer-Walraven, Director of Child Development and Care at the Michigan Department of Education; Spencer Lucker, Director of Strategic Talent Initiatives at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Paula Kaiser Van Dam, Director of the Bureau of Community Services at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Lisa Kemmis, Director of Rental Assistance and Homeless Solutions at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
The event also saw participation from directors representing the Immigrant and Refugee Resource Collaborative, Kalamazoo Refugee Resource Collaborative, Global Detroit, Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative, West Michigan Welcome Plan Collaborative and other experts from various sectors.
The Office of Global Michigan works to make Michigan welcoming and inclusive. Consistent with that mission, the office supports economic and community development, and leads newcomer integration initiatives for the state. OGM works with state agencies and a host of local partners that provide services and outreach to immigrants and ethnic communities.
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