This column originally appeared in The Alpena News on May 12, 2021
By Alex Rossman, External Affairs Director, and Simon Marshall-Shah, State Policy Fellow
At first, state and federal policies to better support Michigan immigrants may not seem particularly relevant to the Alpena area. But new research from the Michigan League for Public Policy shows that 684,000 immigrants are living, studying, working and raising families here in Michigan, and that immigrants are a present and important part of the population in every single county.
The League recently released updated fact sheets on immigrants in Michigan and each county, which are available at mlpp.org/geographicfactsheets. These snapshots include population data, breakdowns by immigration status and changes in these numbers across the last decade for each of the state’s 83 counties. In addition, the fact sheets provide a breakdown of region of origin, which shows the breadth and diversity of the immigrant communities that exist not only across the state but also within each county—including yours.
In Alpena County, the total immigrant population was 362 residents in 2019, the most recent year of data available. For that same year, 178 immigrants were living in Presque Isle County, 112 immigrants were living in Alcona County, and 98 immigrants were living in Montmorency County. Of those 750 immigrant residents calling Northeast Michigan home, about half were noncitizens—lawful permanent
residents (“green card” holders), visa holders, undocumented residents, refugees and asylees.
As both a data- and policy-driven organization, the League works to connect statewide and local data with related policy recommendations to better support all Michiganders and improve our economy. Policies that explicitly include residents who were not born in the U.S. and remove additional barriers they face have the potential to impact communities all across the state, including in Northeast Michigan.
One important policy recommendation in the League’s immigrant fact sheets that would benefit area residents is the restoration of driver’s licenses and state IDs for all immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status. And this policy is particularly relevant, as legislation in both the House and Senate was just announced this week to restore driver’s licenses and state IDs for undocumented immigrants and certain visa holders—a right they had until 2008. The bills are sponsored by Reps. Padma Kuppa and Rachel Hood and Sens. Stephanie Chang and Winnie Brinks respectively.
But passing this legislation is not just about the hundreds of immigrants in the Alpena area or the hundreds of thousands of immigrants around the state who will be directly affected. Restoring driver’s licenses for immigrants would have widespread benefits to all Michiganders and our economy as a whole.
By allowing more immigrants to get driver’s licenses, Michigan will see more insured drivers, lower auto insurance costs, and safer roads. Under this legislation, an estimated 20,000 more Michiganders would purchase a new car, which they would insure and register with the Secretary of State. More insured vehicles could lead to lower auto insurance costs for everyone on the road.
This proposal will also allow more residents to participate in Michigan’s local economies. Undocumented immigrants in Michigan hold $2.5 billion in spending power, and that economic impact would be significantly expanded by improving these residents’ ability to travel in the state. Allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses would also support Michigan’s booming agricultural industry, in particular.
This legislation could also be a boon for the state budget. Reinstating driver’s licenses for immigrant residents would boost state revenue by $13.5 million in the first three years and contribute $12 million in recurring revenue. Over the course of 10 years, this policy would generate nearly $100 million for the state of Michigan.
By restoring access to a driver’s license for Immigrants, Michigan law can better support the business owners, parents, professionals, essential workers, and caregivers that are a key part of our communities. And it will allow more residents to more fully participate in our state economy and complete everyday tasks with dignity and without fear. This legislation has a diverse group of supporters, including
immigrant and policy advocates, law enforcement officials, farmers and small business owners, and members of the faith community.
With this week’s announcement of new legislation, the advocacy work in the Michigan Legislature begins. We hope you’ll join us in supporting this common-sense legislation, and you can visit drivemichiganforward.com to learn more and get involved.
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.
