In Advocacy, Organization News

Standing Together

by Diane Grossman, Executive Director

We know that the current ICE occupation in our city has created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty for many in our community. In times like these, it’s vital that we come together to protect and support those most affected. Below, find practical resources, guidance, and actionable steps you can take today to help safeguard immigrant rights and ease the anxiety surrounding these events.  Together, we can ensure that every voice is heard and every person feels valued and protected.

  • For donations, Immigrant Rapid Response Fund: https://www.wfmn.org/funds/immigrant-rapid-response/
    • Mobilizing and organizing communities to support and protect immigrants
    • Providing food, housing, and other essential emergency support in response to attacks
    • Delivering legal services that defend rights and ensure due process
    • They are developing a crowdsourcing element that is great for individuals to contribute to, if they are looking for a way to do something.
  • Migrant Support Fund, Give Now through the Episcopal Church of Minnesota, provides rapid, flexible financial assistance to meet urgent and emerging needs of immigrant individuals and families across the diocese.
  • Casa Maria https://www.saint-nicks.org/casamaria is a food shelf and clothing closet ministry at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Richfield, serving immigrant families from across the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.  They have expanded food delivery services to ensure families can safely access food and essential supplies.
  • Conversations with Friends MN visits those who are in detention centers, writes letters to them, and offers modest commissary account deposits so they can call loved ones or purchase food/hygiene items, and drops off “dignity” backpacks at the Whipple Federal Building: https://conversationswithfriendsmn.org
  • Neighborhood level: If you are Twin Cities-based (but really, relevant everywhere), talk to your neighbors and see if there’s already a Signal chat on your block that you can get plugged into. A lot of organizing is happening on hyper-local levels.
  • The Hummingbird Network: The Hummingbird Network is a community-led rapid response initiative designed to protect, support, and empower immigrant and BIPOC families on Saint Paul’s West Side. Guided by the values of dignity, solidarity, and collective care, the network mobilizes neighbors to respond swiftly to immigration enforcement, community crises, and acts of injustice. https://www.wsco.org/the_hummingbird_network
  • Unidos MN: Organizes and builds grassroots power with Minnesota’s working families (centering immigrant, racial, economic, and climate justice) to advance inclusive social change and community wellbeing. https://unidos-mn.org
  • MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee): a grassroots immigrant rights organization that fights for legalization for all, an end to deportations and anti-immigrant laws, and full equality for immigrant communities through organizing, education, and advocacy. https://www.miracmn.com
  • Immigrant Defense Network: is a coalition of more than 90 organizations and advocates that coordinates rapid response, legal support, information, and collective action to protect and defend the rights and dignity of immigrant communities across Minnesota. https://immigrantdefensenetwork.org/
  • Defend the 612: Defend the 612 is an attempt to help community members within geographies get connected to one another — to support and connect people into the neighborhood formations that are responding to this violent and immoral onslaught. Specifically, they intend to connect people with existing groups or formations nearby that are actively seeking additional support & resourcing, and provide them with the resources to get started in areas where there are gaps. https://defend612.com/
  • Get training to serve as a Legal Observer. There is an element of risk in volunteering for this activity that you must consider seriously as you determine if this is something you can and will do. Learn about upcoming trainings: https://monarcamn.org/training