Dear Neighbor,

As we move along into the year, below are a few updates from the past month and the start of the 103rd Legislature.

My Bill Extending Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Survivors Signed Into Law

I am thrilled to say that my bill, House Bill 4485, was signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in January. This new law extends the statute of limitations for second- and third-degree criminal sexual assault cases and the time allotted for survivors to seek justice in both civil and criminal courts, allowing survivors to file up until age 42. Passage of this bill is a win for survivors and another step toward holding perpetrators of sexual assault accountable for their crimes.

New Committee Assignments

In this new legislative session, House committees have been assigned. I have been given the privilege to serve as minority vice chair of the Committee on Oversight and as a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get work done!

A Note on Lame Duck

I’ve heard from some members in the community that there is some confusion as to what happened at the end of last year during lame duck. I wanted to use this newsletter as an opportunity to clear up what occurred in December during lame duck. Unfortunately, Republican members as well as a state representative from Detroit walked off the session floor during session hours which inhibited the ability of us to vote on bills.

In November 2023, I introduced House Bill 5333 to increase the tipping fees at our state’s landfills. This bill would benefit the communities that host these landfills while also acting to disincentivize our state from becoming a dumping ground. After many hours in a long day and evening of voting, by around 10 p.m., my bill was up on the board for a floor vote. It was at this time that the Democrat from Detroit left the session floor, even after they had expressed that they would be supporting this bill. Due to the absences of the Republican members and this state representative, we did not have a quorum and therefore no further voting occurred. Essentially, with 56 “yea” votes needed for passage, it was defeated because we only had 55 members present. The same thing happened with Sen. Darrin Camilleri’s similar bill on raising tipping fees.

Reintroduction of Bills

With the new legislature beginning work this year, the bills that were introduced during the previous term are no longer valid. That said, I am planning to reintroduce my bills from last term. These include my agricultural equipment “Right to Repair” bill, my bill to ban radioactive waste shipments from coming into Michigan and my aforementioned bill to raise landfill tipping fees. These bills are still in the process of being finalized to be reintroduced, and I will keep you updated on their progress.

Know Your Rights Regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement

In January, the Department of Homeland Security reversed a federal policy that restricted federal immigration agencies from making arrests in sensitive locations. With this reversal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (commonly referred to as ICE) agents can now enter locations such as schools, medical and mental health care facilities and places of worship. In light of these new changes, I’d like to share some relevant information.

The ACLU website has information about immigrant rights and what to do during various specific interactions with ICE.

In addition, below are some Michigan resources for immigrants and refugees:

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center

15 S. Washington St., Suite 201, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Phone: (734)239-6863

  • Adjustment of Status, asylum applications, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , employment authorization, habeas corpus, NACARA, naturalization/citizenship, removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions 
  • Languages spoken: Arabic, English, French, Spanish 
  • Detention centers served: Calhoun County Correctional Center (MI), Chippewa County (MI), Monroe County Detention Main (MI), Saint Clair County Jail (MI)
  • No nominal fee charged

Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County

2245 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Phone: (734)769-0209

  • Adjustment of status, employment authorization, family-based petitions, naturalization/citizenship, Temporary Protection Status (TPS)
  • Over 60 staff members who speak 25 different languages

Legal Services of South Central Michigan has multiple entities that may be able to help:

Family Law Project

625 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48107 

Phone: (734)998-9454

Washtenaw County Office

420 N. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104 

Phone: (734)665-6181 

Monroe Office

1118 S. Telegraph Road, Suite A, Monroe, MI 48161 

Phone: (734)241-8310 

All locations offer assistance with: 

  • T visas, U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions 
  • Languages spoken: English, Spanish (Monroe office: English only) 
  • No nominal fee

 

Southwest Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center

17375 Harper Ave., Suite 24124, Detroit, MI 48224

Phone: (313)288-9904

  • Adjustment of status, asylum applications, consular processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), employment authorization, employment-based immigrant and non-immigrant petitions, family-based petitions, naturalization/citizenship, P1 or P2 for Afghans, removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), T visas, Temporary Protection Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions. 
  • Languages spoken: Arabic, Dari, Spanish 
  • Detention facilities served: Dearborn Police Department (MI), Kent County Jail (MI), Macomb County Facility (MI), Michigan Corrections Facility (MI), Monroe County Detention Main (MI), Saint Clair County Jail (MI), Wayne County Detention Facility (MI)
  • No nominal fee charged

St Vincent Catholic Charities – Immigration Law Clinic

2800 W. Willow St., Lansing, MI, 48917 

Phone: (517)323-4734 ext. 1800

  • Adjustment of status, asylum applications, consular processing, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), employment authorization, employment-based immigrant and non-immigrant petitions, family-based petitions, NACARA, naturalization/citizenship, removal hearings, Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
  • Languages spoken: Amharic, Arabic, Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Levantine), Burmese, English, Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Kirundi, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chin, Karen, Karenni
  • Detention centers served: Calhoun County Correctional Center (MI), Chippewa County (MI), Genesee County Jail (MI), Macomb County Facility (MI), Michigan Corrections Facility (MI), Monroe County Detention Main (MI), Monroe County Jail (Main) Office (MI), Saint Clair County Jail (MI), Wayne County Detention Facility (MI), William Dickerson Detention Center (MI)

 

Sincerely,

State Representative Reggie Miller

Michigan’s 31st House District

Office Phone: (517) 373-0159

Email: ReggieMiller@house.mi.gov