By Tom Gantert
Legal News
Russell Abrutyn is the 2026 recipient of the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan, to be presented Sept. 18 during the State Bar's annual Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy.
Colleagues say Abrutyn is one of Michigan's most respected immigration attorneys, not only because of the cases he litigates but also on account of the time he devotes to helping other lawyers.
Abrutyn said immigration law has always been a busy area, but demand has increased dramatically under the current administration, both in volume of cases and the nature of the legal issues. While his office continues to handle a broad range of immigration matters, including deportation defense and federal litigation, the focus has shifted from helping immigrants obtain lawful status to challenging unlawful detention and efforts to strip immigrants of legal status.
He said many recent cases involve people who have lived in the United States for years or even decades, built businesses, raised U.S.-citizen families, and become productive members of communities, yet have been detained without an opportunity to seek release through a bond hearing before an immigration judge.
Abrutyn said federal habeas petitions challenging those detentions have been overwhelmingly successful and have reunited hundreds of families.
However, the need far exceeds the legal community's capacity, with many immigrants remaining in detention simply because there are not enough attorneys to represent them.
Calling the situation both frustrating and motivating, Abrutyn said the legal community responded by creating a partnership between the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center to train and mentor more attorneys. Experienced immigration lawyers provide guidance, training and support.
Miriam Aukerman, director of strategic litigation and senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, said Abrutyn's influence extends well beyond the clients he personally represents. Aukerman has worked closely with Abrutyn through the ACLU of Michigan's habeas project, a collaboration with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. The project assists immigrants who may be unlawfully detained, including people held for prolonged periods without bond hearings or under conditions that violate federal immigration law or constitutional protections. Because many detainees cannot effectively pursue relief on their own, the initiative supports attorneys preparing and filing federal habeas petitions seeking their release.
According to Aukerman, Abrutyn has become an indispensable resource for attorneys handling those cases. Many participating lawyers are new to immigration law, federal habeas litigation or both. Abrutyn provides strategic guidance, conducts regular office hours, shares model pleadings, consults on litigation strategy and helps attorneys work through difficult legal questions. Aukerman said his efforts have significantly expanded the capacity of both immigration lawyers and pro bono attorneys to represent detained immigrants.
Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, said Abrutyn's influence extends far beyond his own clients, crediting him with advancing immigration law while helping make it more welcoming, receptive and equitable for immigrants across Michigan and the country.
Robinson said Abrutyn devotes countless hours to supporting other attorneys, particularly those providing pro bono representation. Through the collaboration between the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, he maintains regular office hours where he provides legal consultations and guidance to attorneys handling habeas petitions and bond claims for detained immigrants.
Robinson said Abrutyn also develops training programs, prepares practice advisories and provides sample pleadings to attorneys working in an area of law that is changing at a rapid pace because of new court decisions and evolving federal policies. Robinson noted Abrutyn routinely responds to questions from lawyers through email and professional listservs.
According to Robinson, Abrutyn's willingness to mentor other attorneys has had an impact far beyond cases he personally litigates. His guidance has helped thousands of detained immigrants in Michigan and throughout the Sixth Circuit gain a meaningful opportunity to seek release from detention by increasing the number of lawyers equipped to handle complex immigration habeas and bond litigation.
Abrutyn graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999, where he was a member of the Michigan Journal of Race and Law. After graduation, he spent more than 15 years practicing immigration law in Washington state and Michigan, building experience in a wide range of immigration matters.
Legal News
Russell Abrutyn is the 2026 recipient of the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan, to be presented Sept. 18 during the State Bar's annual Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy.
Colleagues say Abrutyn is one of Michigan's most respected immigration attorneys, not only because of the cases he litigates but also on account of the time he devotes to helping other lawyers.
Abrutyn said immigration law has always been a busy area, but demand has increased dramatically under the current administration, both in volume of cases and the nature of the legal issues. While his office continues to handle a broad range of immigration matters, including deportation defense and federal litigation, the focus has shifted from helping immigrants obtain lawful status to challenging unlawful detention and efforts to strip immigrants of legal status.
He said many recent cases involve people who have lived in the United States for years or even decades, built businesses, raised U.S.-citizen families, and become productive members of communities, yet have been detained without an opportunity to seek release through a bond hearing before an immigration judge.
Abrutyn said federal habeas petitions challenging those detentions have been overwhelmingly successful and have reunited hundreds of families.
However, the need far exceeds the legal community's capacity, with many immigrants remaining in detention simply because there are not enough attorneys to represent them.
Calling the situation both frustrating and motivating, Abrutyn said the legal community responded by creating a partnership between the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center to train and mentor more attorneys. Experienced immigration lawyers provide guidance, training and support.
Miriam Aukerman, director of strategic litigation and senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, said Abrutyn's influence extends well beyond the clients he personally represents. Aukerman has worked closely with Abrutyn through the ACLU of Michigan's habeas project, a collaboration with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. The project assists immigrants who may be unlawfully detained, including people held for prolonged periods without bond hearings or under conditions that violate federal immigration law or constitutional protections. Because many detainees cannot effectively pursue relief on their own, the initiative supports attorneys preparing and filing federal habeas petitions seeking their release.
According to Aukerman, Abrutyn has become an indispensable resource for attorneys handling those cases. Many participating lawyers are new to immigration law, federal habeas litigation or both. Abrutyn provides strategic guidance, conducts regular office hours, shares model pleadings, consults on litigation strategy and helps attorneys work through difficult legal questions. Aukerman said his efforts have significantly expanded the capacity of both immigration lawyers and pro bono attorneys to represent detained immigrants.
Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, said Abrutyn's influence extends far beyond his own clients, crediting him with advancing immigration law while helping make it more welcoming, receptive and equitable for immigrants across Michigan and the country.
Robinson said Abrutyn devotes countless hours to supporting other attorneys, particularly those providing pro bono representation. Through the collaboration between the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, he maintains regular office hours where he provides legal consultations and guidance to attorneys handling habeas petitions and bond claims for detained immigrants.
Robinson said Abrutyn also develops training programs, prepares practice advisories and provides sample pleadings to attorneys working in an area of law that is changing at a rapid pace because of new court decisions and evolving federal policies. Robinson noted Abrutyn routinely responds to questions from lawyers through email and professional listservs.
According to Robinson, Abrutyn's willingness to mentor other attorneys has had an impact far beyond cases he personally litigates. His guidance has helped thousands of detained immigrants in Michigan and throughout the Sixth Circuit gain a meaningful opportunity to seek release from detention by increasing the number of lawyers equipped to handle complex immigration habeas and bond litigation.
Abrutyn graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999, where he was a member of the Michigan Journal of Race and Law. After graduation, he spent more than 15 years practicing immigration law in Washington state and Michigan, building experience in a wide range of immigration matters.
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