By Tom Ganert
Legal News
Russell Abrutyn has been named the 2026 recipient of the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan, recognizing his extraordinary commitment to providing free legal services and mentoring attorneys who represent some of the nation's most vulnerable immigrants.
The award will be presented Sept. 18 during the State Bar's annual Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy. It honors attorneys whose pro bono work has made a significant impact on the legal profession and the public.
Abrutyn receives the honor at a time when immigration law has become one of the fastest-changing areas of American law. Two major court cases illustrate the rapidly evolving legal landscape surrounding immigration detention and due process during President Donald Trump's second administration.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that immigrants cannot be held for more than 90 days without receiving a bond hearing, concluding the government must provide an individualized justification for continued detention.
At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a separate case that could establish a nationwide standard on prolonged immigration detention by deciding whether certain immigrants may be held for extended periods without a bond hearing. Together, the cases could significantly shape the future of immigration enforcement and due process protections.
Against that backdrop, colleagues say Abrutyn has become 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 navigate an increasingly complex area of law.
Abrutyn said immigration law has always been a busy area of practice, but demand has increased dramatically under the current administration, both in the volume of cases and the nature of the legal issues attorneys are confronting.
While his office continues to handle a broad range of immigration matters, including deportation defense and federal litigation, the focus of his practice has shifted over the past year and a half from helping immigrants obtain lawful status to challenging unlawful detention and efforts to strip immigrants of their legal status.
He said many of the 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 their 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, he said 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.
Through that effort, experienced immigration lawyers provide guidance, training and support so more attorneys can represent detained immigrants and help reunite families.
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.
"Russ is an exceptional attorney," Aukerman said. "He not only has an encyclopedic knowledge of immigration law, but he is always willing to share his expertise with others.
He is a godsend for his clients. But his impact goes much further than his own cases because he has trained, mentored and advised so many other lawyers. This award is richly deserved."
Aukerman has worked closely with Abrutyn through the ACLU of Michigan's habeas project, a collaboration with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center launched in response to increased immigration detention during the Trump administration's expanded enforcement efforts.
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. Drawing on decades of experience, he 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 combines an extraordinary command of immigration law with diligence, creativity and the ability to solve complex legal problems for individual clients while simultaneously challenging systemic barriers that affect thousands of others.
His litigation has resulted in numerous published, precedent-setting decisions that continue to shape immigration law, he said.
In addition to his courtroom work, 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 that Abrutyn routinely responds to questions from lawyers through email and professional listservs, often answering inquiries at virtually any hour of the day.
According to Robinson, Abrutyn's willingness to mentor other attorneys has had an impact far beyond the 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.
Robinson said Abrutyn's legal brilliance is matched by his generosity and kindness.
"He is a mensch," Robinson said. "Russell is truly deserving of this award."
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 at well-respected law firms in Washington state and Michigan, building experience in a wide range of immigration matters.
Legal News
Russell Abrutyn has been named the 2026 recipient of the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan, recognizing his extraordinary commitment to providing free legal services and mentoring attorneys who represent some of the nation's most vulnerable immigrants.
The award will be presented Sept. 18 during the State Bar's annual Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy. It honors attorneys whose pro bono work has made a significant impact on the legal profession and the public.
Abrutyn receives the honor at a time when immigration law has become one of the fastest-changing areas of American law. Two major court cases illustrate the rapidly evolving legal landscape surrounding immigration detention and due process during President Donald Trump's second administration.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that immigrants cannot be held for more than 90 days without receiving a bond hearing, concluding the government must provide an individualized justification for continued detention.
At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a separate case that could establish a nationwide standard on prolonged immigration detention by deciding whether certain immigrants may be held for extended periods without a bond hearing. Together, the cases could significantly shape the future of immigration enforcement and due process protections.
Against that backdrop, colleagues say Abrutyn has become 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 navigate an increasingly complex area of law.
Abrutyn said immigration law has always been a busy area of practice, but demand has increased dramatically under the current administration, both in the volume of cases and the nature of the legal issues attorneys are confronting.
While his office continues to handle a broad range of immigration matters, including deportation defense and federal litigation, the focus of his practice has shifted over the past year and a half from helping immigrants obtain lawful status to challenging unlawful detention and efforts to strip immigrants of their legal status.
He said many of the 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 their 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, he said 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.
Through that effort, experienced immigration lawyers provide guidance, training and support so more attorneys can represent detained immigrants and help reunite families.
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.
"Russ is an exceptional attorney," Aukerman said. "He not only has an encyclopedic knowledge of immigration law, but he is always willing to share his expertise with others.
He is a godsend for his clients. But his impact goes much further than his own cases because he has trained, mentored and advised so many other lawyers. This award is richly deserved."
Aukerman has worked closely with Abrutyn through the ACLU of Michigan's habeas project, a collaboration with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center launched in response to increased immigration detention during the Trump administration's expanded enforcement efforts.
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. Drawing on decades of experience, he 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 combines an extraordinary command of immigration law with diligence, creativity and the ability to solve complex legal problems for individual clients while simultaneously challenging systemic barriers that affect thousands of others.
His litigation has resulted in numerous published, precedent-setting decisions that continue to shape immigration law, he said.
In addition to his courtroom work, 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 that Abrutyn routinely responds to questions from lawyers through email and professional listservs, often answering inquiries at virtually any hour of the day.
According to Robinson, Abrutyn's willingness to mentor other attorneys has had an impact far beyond the 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.
Robinson said Abrutyn's legal brilliance is matched by his generosity and kindness.
"He is a mensch," Robinson said. "Russell is truly deserving of this award."
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 at well-respected law firms in Washington state and Michigan, building experience in a wide range of immigration matters.
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