ILCM Welcomes New Executive Director, Jennifer Stohl Powell

On October 17, 2024, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) announced the selection of Jennifer Stohl Powell, JD as the program’s new executive director. Stohl Powell has served as ILCM interim executive director since June.

“Immigrants and refugees are essential members of our community and make vital contributions to Minnesota and the nation,” said Stohl Powell. “The work of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota in supporting and defending their rights and helping them to work through the maze of immigration laws is crucially important. I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding staff and volunteers of ILCM.”

ILCM Board Chair Sarah Radosevich welcomed Stohl Powell to her new position, saying, “We at ILCM have a big task ahead of us to not only continue to provide exceptional legal support, but also to act boldly as community leaders at a time when our immigrant and refugee communities face a broken immigration system and harmful rhetoric. Jennifer Stohl Powell has dedicated her legal career to serving these communities and has been an essential part of ILCM’s team for the past seven years. We are beyond excited to have her lead ILCM into the future.”

Serving low-income farmworker, immigrant, and refugee clients has been a passion for Stohl Powell throughout her legal career. She volunteered at a refugee camp for Central Americans on the Texas-Mexico border and then worked as a paralegal with migrant farmworkers in Minnesota before attending law school. After graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School, she worked for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) and then at ILCM.

As a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, she has presented at continuing legal education classes and at regional conferences. She has conducted extensive outreach and community education sessions in Spanish as well as serving in leadership and administrative roles in both SMRLS and ILCM. An active community leader, Stohl Powell also volunteers with Feline Rescue in St. Paul and with the Military History Library in Apple Valley.

Stohl Powell’s educational background includes a BA in Latin American Studies from Carleton College (with honors), a JD from the University of Minnesota, and an MA in Nonprofit Management from Hamline University.