A south metro legal clinic has opened inside a Savage church to help immigrants process with the complexities of immigration law.
"It's a matrix," said Sandra Wright, director of Bridge to Life Immigration Legal Assistance Clinic, which operates out of Bridgewood Church on West 135th Street. "Unfortunately, there are not enough trustworthy assistants to help people — especially those who are not financially well off."
The clinic, which is accredited through the Department of Justice, opened in June to help those seeking advice on acquiring work visas, family sponsorship and a path to citizenship. It took two years to set up the volunteer clinic, which was designed with low-income immigrant and refugee families in mind, Wright said.
Bridgewood, described as a Christ Reformed Presbyterian church whose parent institution is Eden Prairie's Wooddale Church, soon realized that Scott County's demographics were rapidly changing — and so were their congregants. In recent years, Bridgewood welcomed a few dozen Russian and African immigrants.
At first, officials began offering weekly homework help to families of nonnative English speakers. The program's success made participants want to do more to help others, said lead pastor Dave Huizenga.
"We see the panic," Huizenga said. "The message is needed: Christ cares about immigrants," he said. "We want to say to them, 'You are welcome into our region and our church.' "
The clinic charges $50 for a consultation, but that can be reduced based on a client's income if they produce last year's tax return or a recent pay stub. Night and weekend hours are available to accommodate working families. Clients must provide their own interpreter, if necessary.
The legal clinic also offers "Know your rights" education classes to inform immigrants how to interact with law enforcement.
