New Study Reveals 70,000 High Schoolers in Michigan from Immigrant Families

Immigration Research Initiative has co-released a report with the Michigan League of Public Policy, Global Detroit, and Kids Count Michigan that revealed 300,000 kids in Michigan who have at least one immigrant in their immediate family. Of these, 70,000 are in high school. Half of all Michiganders, in fact, live in a county where more than 20% of high school students are in immigrant families.

The report, “High School Kids in Immigrant Families: A Call to Action for Michigan’s Higher Ed and Workforce Development Strategies,” concerns Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 initiative to expand the skills and education of Michigan’s workforce so that 60% of working-age Michiganders possess a professional certificate or credential or a college degree by 2030. To be successful, Michigan’s higher education and workforce development strategies must include and respond to the needs of these growing populations. This report takes an in-depth look at where these students live, how their families fare in the economy, and their racial and ethnic backgrounds.

For the full report, click here.

For the press release, click here.