A version of this column originally appeared in Michigan Advance.
It’s that time of year again—and not just when coffee shops are bringing back favorite fall flavors (some for the 20th year in a row!). Children and young people in Michigan have headed back to school, from first steps into the classroom all the way through the final day of senior year.
Hundreds of thousands of students have returned to high school hallways in Michigan. Among them are 70,000 kids who come from immigrant families in which at least one parent was born in another country. That’s 15% of all high school students in our state.
In fact, the percentage of high schoolers from immigrant families grows to 20% or more in six Michigan counties – Ingham, Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, Macomb and Kent – with Ingham and Wayne counties approaching 30% of all high schoolers being part of immigrant families. In addition, since immigrants live in all counties in Michigan, there are high school-aged kids in immigrant families in regions all across our state, even outside of larger cities and population centers.
This data and more is available in a new release by the League and the Immigration Research Initiative, funded by Global Detroit, titled High School Kids in Immigrant Families: A Call to Action for Michigan’s Higher Ed and Workforce Development Strategies. This project offers data on students’ geography, race/ethnicity, English proficiency, income and parents’ education, with lessons for the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of having a labor force in which 60% of Michiganders have a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.
To that end, the study highlights the increasingly important role that community colleges play in serving students from immigrant families or those who are immigrants themselves – a subgroup of students that comprises a rising share of college enrollment across the country. While 28 community colleges in Michigan serve immigrant families, six community college districts serve 75% of the state’s high school-aged kids in immigrant families (these are Oakland, Wayne, Grand Rapids, Macomb, Henry Ford and Lansing). Four of those districts are concentrated in Southeast Michigan.
Some of the other findings from the study include:
- Among high school kids in immigrant families, 50% are Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, or Latinx and over 40% are white. Many of these white high school-aged kids in immigrant families are likely Arab-American, but without a distinct race/ethnicity reporting category for the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) population, there is a lack of accurate race and ethnicity information.
- Michigan high schoolers in immigrant families fare about as well as their U.S.-born counterparts economically. There are, however, differences across metropolitan areas in the state.
- Only 10% of high-school aged children in immigrant families are considered limited English proficient (LEP) and speak English less than “very well.” The English language proficiency of most parents is also very high and most also speak another language. Still, a much larger percentage (46%) of immigrant parents are considered limited English proficient (LEP) and speak English less than “very well.”
- While comparable numbers of parents in immigrant and U.S.-born families have a bachelor’s degree and a significant number have an advanced degree, 22% of parents in immigrant families do not have a high school diploma, compared to just 5% in U.S.-born families. This is an important finding: often due to economic or social factors, parental education levels are a critical factor in a child’s level of educational attainment, particularly when it comes to completing college.
High school-aged kids and young adults are a part of the future of Michigan and we must continue to invest in their success. Enacting inclusive policies that support immigrants and their children is one important strategy that will grow our state’s population and support all families who call Michigan home. In addition, paying closer attention to this group of young people will be key to achieving higher education, community college and workforce development goals like those defined by the Sixty by 30 initiative.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
