Purpose

• Establish a one-time grant program to support partnerships between responsible social services agencies and nonprofit organizations. The goal is to help noncitizen immigrant youth by ensuring they have birth documentation and legal status, and to provide them with legal assistance to obtain permanent legal status or documentation.

Funding and administration

• A one-time appropriation of $300,000 in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund is allocated to the commissioner of public safety to fund these grants.
• The grants are intended to support work that helps fulfill requirements of Minnesota law related to noncitizen immigrant youth (specifically referenced with Minnesota Statutes section 260C.452, subdivision 4, paragraph c).

What the funds must accomplish

• Identify whether a child in need of protection or services has birth documentation (birth certificate) and a Social Security card, and refer those without such documents for further assessment.
• Help noncitizen immigrant youth obtain permanent legal status or documentation of legal status.
• The nonprofit partner must conduct brief legal assessments and provide legal representation to help youth pursue immigration relief and permanent status.

Applicants and eligibility

• Applications may be submitted by a county, a qualifying nonprofit organization, or both.
• A qualifying nonprofit must meet all of these criteria:
  • Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing.
  • Have experience screening youth for common forms of immigration relief.
  • Have experience representing youth before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and in immigration courts.
  • Have experience working with county stakeholders.
  • Have or plan a language access plan to assist those with limited English proficiency.
  • Demonstrate ability to work in diverse communities.
• Applications must include proof of a cooperative agreement between the county social services agency and the nonprofit, clearly identifying roles and how grant funds will be divided.

Funding minimums

• Grants awarded under this program must be at least $150,000.

Confidentiality and data privacy

• Data held by a grantee that relates to services provided to a child under this section is classified as private data on individuals.
• Data may not be shared or disseminated except to:
  • A partner nonprofit for administering this section,
  • For compliance with a valid search warrant or court order (issued by a state or federal judge),
  • To a court to confirm compliance with statutory duties, with disclosure limited to the minimum data necessary.

Significance and expected impact

• Creates a targeted mechanism to help noncitizen immigrant youth obtain birth documentation and legal status.
• Expands collaboration between social services and nonprofit organizations to address immigration-related needs.
• Introduces formal requirements for nonprofits and counties to ensure accountability and data privacy in handling sensitive immigration information.

What changes this bill introduces

• Establishes a new, dedicated funding stream (one-time) for partnerships addressing documentation and immigration status for noncitizen immigrant youth.
• Sets explicit eligibility criteria and minimum grant size for nonprofit partners.
• Adds specific confidentiality protections and data-sharing limits related to services for these youth.
• Integrates immigration relief experience and language access requirements into nonprofit eligibility.

Relevant Terms - noncitizen immigrant youth - birth certificate - Social Security card - permanent legal status - documentation of legal status - immigration relief - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - immigration courts - language access plan - 501(c)(3) nonprofit - responsible social services agency - cooperative agreement - general fund - commissioner of public safety - private data on individuals (confidentiality)