Earlier this winter, during the height of Operation Metro Surge, we created a resource guide on how to support Minnesota’s immigrant communities. It reached a lot of readers, both in Minnesota and beyond, and helped drive money, volunteer time, and other resources toward the places that needed it. Now, a month or so since the federal government began winding down ICE enforcement in Minnesota, activity on the streets has slowed (though about 650 agents remained as of early March). But the chaos that Operation Metro Surge created—families sheltering in place for months at a time, parents unable to work, children staying home from school—has left an immeasurable impact on communities across the Twin Cities. Many families are dealing with food insecurity, struggling to pay rent or mortgages, and reckoning with the mental health repercussions of ICE operations.
Given all this, we wanted to put together a smaller, more focused guide to highlight organizations and mutual aid funds that are supporting those most impacted by Operation Metro Surge’s fallout. Many of them need more help than ever, as donations have dropped precipitously since January and early February. This guide isn’t meant to be comprehensive, but rather to point you to the groups that are doing immediate and impactful work right here, right now. Feel free to reach out with suggestions at [email protected].
Individual Mutual Aid Funds
The truth is that direct mutual aid funds are often the best way to support people impacted by ICE. Not everyone is plugged into local resources like food drives and rent relief funds, and legal fees are an immense cost for those who have been detained and their families.
We’ll continue to add direct fundraisers here: for Aminata, a 28-year-old pregnant woman detained in rural Minnesota; for Miriam and Sandra, both also pregnant, and now detained in Texas; for Daisy’s dad, who came to the U.S. as a Hmong refugee 35 years ago and is now facing deportation to Laos; for Jenny and her family, who have fallen four months behind on rent after they were forced to close their mechanic shop; for Maria, who is detained with her two children; for Mary, whose three young children are now in foster care due to her detainment; for Erica, a young pregnant mother struggling to meet rent after her husband was detained months ago; for a single mom with seven kids who needs support for rent, essential needs, resources for their son who has autism and epilepsy; for an Ethiopian mother whose husband was recently detained and transferred to Texas; for a family of nine that has been separated; and for Hiluf Mengesha, who needs legal defense support.
Food Drives
As mentioned above, donations to local food banks have essentially tanked in the last month or two. Donating to any local food shelf is helpful, but here are five doing urgent work at the moment: Dios Habla Hoy continues to do food distribution and essential goods directly to impacted families, some of whom still do not feel safe venturing out; Joyce Uptown Food Shelf continues to do amazing on-the-ground work in Minneapolis and really needs more donations; as do Lake Street Distro, Community Aid Network, and Isuroon (which offers halal food). Beyond donating, you can also support these organizations by volunteering to pack groceries, deliver to homes, etc.
Rent Relief
Follow Kirstie Kimball of Beyond Beurre Blanc, who is posting rent requests on her stories every day through the end of March. These requests are often folks who haven’t accessed assistance through community rental funds, so they’re a great place to start…