- END NOTES
-
- “Snyder offers road map to drive change in Michigan’s economy and government,” State of Michigan, Office of Governor Rick Snyder, Michigan.gov, January 19, 2011, https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/recent/snyder/press-releases/2011/01/19/snyder-offers-road-map-to-drive-change-in-michigans-economy-and-government.
- Daniel McGraw, “The Real GOP Split on Immigration,” POLITICO Magazine, January 14, 2015, https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/gop-immigration-split-113396/.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report (December 14, 2023), https://growingmichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-12-14-GMTC-Final-Report-2.pdf.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, Michigan Statewide Population Projections through 2050, 2024, https://www.michigan.gov/mcda/-/media/Project/Websites/mcda/reports/2024/Michigan-Statewide-Population-Projections-through-2050.pdf.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- “Contributions of New Americans in Michigan,” American Immigration Council, May 29, 2024, https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/contributions-new-americans-michigan/.
- Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, “Michigan shows population growth from 2023 to 2024 in the Vintage 2024 estimates,” MCDA Insights, December 20, 2024, https://www.michigan.gov/mcda/insights/2024/12/20/vintage24-pop-estimates.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Peter Dizikes, “Immigrants in the U.S. are more likely to start firms, create jobs,” MIT News, May 9, 2022, https://news.mit.edu/2022/study-immigrants-more-likely-start-firms-create-jobs-0509.
- Shai Bernstein et al., The Contribution of High-Skilled Immigrants to Innovation in the United States, NBER Working Paper no. 30797 (Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, December 2022; revised August 2025), 12, https://doi.org/10.3386/w30797.
- “New Report Assesses the Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration,” National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, September 21, 2016, https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/new-report-assesses-the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration.
- Jongkwan Lee, Giovanni Peri, and Vasil Yasenov, The Labor Market Effects of Mexican Repatriations: Longitudinal Evidence from the 1930s, NBER Working Paper no. 26399 (Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, October 2019), https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w26399/w26399.pdf.
- Ray Sanchez and Camila DeChalus, “Trump Canceled Temporary Legal Status for More Than 1.5 Million Immigrants in 2025,” WLRN, December 29, 2025, https://www.wlrn.org/immigration/2025-12-29/trump-canceled-temporary-legal-status-for-more-than-1-5-million-immigrants-in-2025.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, The Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan (March 2024), https://www.michigan.gov/leo/-/media/Project/Websites/leo/Documents/MWDB/MI-State-Workforce-Plan.pdf.
- Michigan League for Public Policy, “High School Kids in Immigrant Families,” MLPP, September 2, 2023, https://mlpp.org/high-school-kids-in-immigrant-families/.
- Anna Powell, “Nearly Half a Million Early Childhood Educators Are Immigrants,” Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley, July 15, 2025, https://cscce.berkeley.edu/publications/blog/nearly-half-a-million-early-childhood-educators-are-immigrants/.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Chris Isidore and Tami Luhby, “Autos Aren’t What They Used to Be in Michigan. Here’s What That Means for State’s Economy.” CNN, February 27, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/business/auto-jobs-michigan-economy-primary/index.html.
- Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), “Immigrants are a Vital Part of Michigan.” MLPP. October 10, 2024, accessed December 9, 2025, https://mlpp.org/immigrants-are-a-vital-part-of-michigan/.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- “Study: Michigan underfunding roads by up to $3.9 billion a year.” Crain’s Detroit Business. March 7, 2023. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/transportation/study-michigan-underfunding-roads-39-billion.
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Michigan Section, 2023 Michigan’s Infrastructure Report Card, May 2023, https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Report-2023-MI-IRC-Final-WEB.pdf.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Joseph Natarelli, “Michigan Construction Industry Booms, Workforce Struggles to Keep Up,” Construction Magazine, August 2024, https://www.constructionmagazine.news/CD/article/2466EE99-michigan-construction-industry-booms-workforce-struggles-to-keep-up.
- Associated General Contractors of America, “New Survey Shows How Nation’s Failure To Invest In Construction Education & Training Programs Makes It Hard For Firms To Build,” AGC News, August 28, 2024, https://www.agc.org/news/2024/08/28/new-survey-shows-how-nations-failure-invest-construction-education-training-programs-makes-it-hard.
- “How Apprenticeships Empower Adult Learners and Bridge the Construction Workforce Gap,” NCCER, April 30, 2025, https://www.nccer.org/newsroom/how-apprenticeships-empower-adult-learners-and-bridge-the-construction-workforce-gap/.
- Natalia Siniavskaia, Immigrant Workers in the Construction Labor Force (National Association of Home Builders, Special Studies, March 3, 2020), https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/news-and-economics/docs/housing-economics-plus/special-studies/2020/special-study-immigrant-workers-in-the-construction-labor-force-march-2020.pdf.
- Natalia Siniavskaia, Immigrant Workers in the Construction Labor Force (National Association of Home Builders, Special Studies, March 3, 2020), https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/news-and-economics/docs/housing-economics-plus/special-studies/2020/special-study-immigrant-workers-in-the-construction-labor-force-march-2020.pdf.
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Untapped Potential in Michigan: How Childcare Impacts Michigan’s Workforce Productivity and the State Economy (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 2023), https://www.michamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Untapped_MI_082523_DIGITAL.pdf.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Ana Hornburg, “Healthcare Jobs Expected to Grow 10% Over Next Decade, Despite Continued Challenges with Recruitment and Retention,” Michigan Health Council, August 13, 2024, https://www.mhc.org/post/healthcare-jobs-expected-to-grow-10-over-next-decade-despite-continued-challenges-with-recruitment-and-retention.
- Stephen Petterson, Angela Cai, Miranda Moore, and Andrew Bazemore, Michigan: Projecting Primary Care Physician Workforce (Robert Graham Center, September 2013), https://www.graham-center.org/content/dam/rgc/documents/maps-data-tools/state-collections/workforce-projections/Michigan.pdf.
- Michigan League for Public Policy, “Immigrants are a Vital Part of Michigan,” MLPP, October 10, 2024 (updated October 15, 2024), https://mlpp.org/immigrants-are-a-vital-part-of-michigan/.
- David Wright, Nathan Flis, and Mona Gupta, “The ‘Brain Drain’ of Physicians: Historical Antecedents to an Ethical Debate, c. 1960–79,” Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 3 (2008): 24, https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-5341-3-24.
- “Founding of the College of Osteopathic Medicine,” Michigan State University, On the Banks: MSU History Timeline, https://onthebanks.msu.edu/Timeline/162-568-114/founding-of-the-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/.
- Mich. Att’y Gen. Op. No. 5575 (Oct. 5, 1979), https://www.ag.state.mi.us/opinion/datafiles/1970s/op05575.htm.
- Whitney Burney and Brian Schwartz, “Southwest Detroit businesses protest ramped-up ICE activity, political rhetoric,” WXYZ, February 3, 2025, https://www.wxyz.com/news/voices/southwest-detroit-businesses-protest-ramped-up-ice-activity-political-rhetoric.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), Sixty by 30 Strategic Plan, accessed January 29, 2026, https://www.michigan.gov/mileap/-/media/Project/Websites/mileap/Documents/Higher-Education/Sixty-by-30/Strategic-Plan.pdf.
- MiLEAP, Sixty by 30 Strategic Plan.
- Cassie Arnita, Barriers to Career Advancement Among Skilled Immigrants in the US (Ballard Brief, Brigham Young University, published Fall 2022), https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/barriers-to-career-advancement-among-skilled-immigrants-in-the-us.
- Steve Carmody, “Advocates press Mich. lawmakers to pass undocumented immigrant driver’s license bills before session ends,” Michigan Public, December 3, 2024, https://www.michiganpublic.org/transportation-infrastructure/2024-12-03/advocates-press-michigan-lawmakers-to-pass-undocumented-immigrant-drivers-license-bills-before-the-end-of-lame-duck.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
- Growing Michigan Together Council, Growing Michigan Together Council Report.
- Detroit Regional Chamber, “New Statewide Survey Reveals Priorities for Michigan Residents Ages 18–29: Get the Fundamentals Right, Diversify the Economy, Create a Welcoming State,” Detroit Regional Chamber, September 20, 2023, https://www.detroitchamber.com/under-30-poll/.
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan State Workforce Plan.
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.
