Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she shared her concerns with President Trump about his new H1B visa policy which makes the price of applying for a visa $100,000.

H1B visas allow companies to bring in international workers for specialized jobs requiring higher education. Whitmer says she told President Trump that raising the application cost of those visas by around 10,000% could hurt Michigan’s economy.

Whitmer adds the state’s medical and automotive industries could be directly impacted by visa policy changes, saying large numbers of Canadian workers in fields like nursing and engineering rely on the visas.

Additional headlines from Tuesday September 30, 2025

Southwest Detroit hosts forum for candidates in upcoming election

A group of local community organizations is hosting the State of Southwest: A Municipal Candidate Forum on October 11.

Candidates for mayor, City Council District 6 and at-large seats have been invited to hear personal testimonies and concerns from residents of Southwest Detroit before sharing their plans to address the problems.

Organizers include 482Forward, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Michigan United, Raices Detroit, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives and We the People MI.

The forum is Saturday October 11 from noon to 3 p.m. in the  El Nacimiento warehouse at 7000 W Vernor Hwy. 

Resource guide for Native Americans returns

The state is relaunching a resource guide for Michigan tribal communities.

The Office of Civil Rights began publishing the Michigan Indian Quarterly more than 30 years ago. Now the Native American Resource Guide will be produced by the Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential in partnership with Michigan State University’s Native American Institute.

The guide will include a list of tribal, state and federal contacts, education, legal and health resources, scholarship opportunities, genealogical research tools and artwork from Native artists from Michigan.

Print copies can be requested at nai@msu.edu.

Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival 

The Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival is this weekend.

The city’s creative community invites visitors to their home studios and front porches as well as to coffee shops, galleries and parks throughout the city. Organizers say the festival is meant to show that art is for everyone and that all are welcome.

The Hamtramck Night Bazaar will offer food and goods from a variety of vendors, and stores and restaurants will also be open. For more information visit hnaf.org.  

DNR on the lookout for Belle Isle alligator

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed sightings of a small alligator roaming on Belle Isle.

The Detroit Free Press reports someone took a picture of the gator and shared it on social media. The DNR reviewed the photograph and used geolocation data to determine its authenticity.

The agency says it doesn’t know how the reptile got there, but it reminds people that releasing pets or wild animals on Belle Isle or other state parks is illegal and harmful to native creatures.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michigan’s official monthly unemployment rate in July remained at 5.3%, which was unchanged from June.

The number of unemployed people in Michigan decreased slightly by 1,000, according to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. But the labor force – people who are either working or looking for work – declined by about 5,000 people.

 These numbers are close enough that, on balance, they failed to move the unemployment rate.  

“The unemployment rate held steady because the labor force declined, and that’s not what we’d like to see,” said University of Michigan economist Gabriel Ehrlich. “The reason wasn’t because the count of employed Michigan residents increased or held steady, it actually fell. So, the number of Michigan residents who reported that they’re working actually dipped last month.”

Ehrlich said he does not see anything alarming in the data, but will continue to watch the workforce participation numbers.

Michigan Labor Market Information Director Wayne Rourke said Michigan is not seeing big month-to-month changes in its jobs numbers, which shows employment remains steady.

 “Since January, the unemployment rates have really stabilized and Michigan’s rate has hovered between 5.3% and 5.5%,” he said. “So, looking at the last six months or so, Michigan’s unemployment rate has really stabilized after the large growth of last year, and that’s a good sign.”

Michigan’s July unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points higher than the national rate. It is also half a percentage point higher than it was at this time a year ago.