Minnesota is once again facing a dark moment. Our state is undergoing what the federal department of Homeland Security has called the “largest scale immigration operation ever,” an onslaught that is killing people, blatantly instigating and escalating harm, endangering our friends and neighbors, breaking up families, and traumatizing children.
Our neighbors, our children, and our collective future demand hope and resistance, which lie in our community, mutual aid groups, and nonprofit organizations.
Please consider the below resources and actions to support our community:
Donate | Trusted Media | Know Your Rights | Nonprofit-specific Resources
Actions for our allies outside of Minnesota
For our non-Minnesotan friends, thank you for your outreach and outpouring of support, and here are some tangible ways you can be in solidarity with the people of Minnesota.
Donate
Money is most needed in this moment. Direct your generosity to local nonprofits, mutual aid groups, and immigrant owned restaurants and businesses.
- Visit immigrant-owned restaurants and businesses, which need our support as many have had to limit hours and access due to ICE activity.
- List of Mutual Aid needs, including rent, food, diapers, and animal support.
Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) fights for legalization for all, an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life.
Unidos MN / Monarca is operating the primary hotline for people to report ICE presence in the Twin Cities, as well as providing key resources for immigrants and community defenders.
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) is a nonprofit organization that provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota.
COPAL (Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action) works to improve the quality of life of Latine families and is operating a hotline to support people impacted.
Immigrant Defense Network defends the rights and freedoms of our neighbors and drives transformative change together.
African Economic Development Solutions builds wealth within African immigrant communities through economic development activities.
Immigrant Rapid Response Fund, organized by a coalition of Minnesota philanthropy partners, is supporting the immediate need for rights and resources in all targeted immigrant communities.
The Midwest Immigration Bond Fund pays out immigration bonds when someone is detained by ICE, the difference between staying jailed or coming home while they continue their immigration case.
Minnesota 8 is doing direct deportation defense and participatory defense for Southeast Asian communities, particularly those who are justice-impacted.
Trusted media
While lack of transparency makes accountability difficult, get your information from trusted news sources and independent journalists.
Sahan Journal, a nonprofit digital newsroom reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota.
MPR News, an NPR-affiliate radio station covering statewide news.
Minnesota Reformer, a nonprofit newsroom, an affiliate of States Newsroom.
MinnPost, an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering Minnesota news.
Blck Press, an independent publication with the goal to connect news to Black culture.
State of Minnesota – Correcting DHS Misinformation, state webpage to correct DHS’ repeated false claims regarding the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ (DOC) cooperation with ICE.
Georgia Fort, an award-winning independent journalist.
Bring Me the News, owned and operated by journalists, they are dedicated to bringing you the best and most relevant stories from around Minnesota.
The Minnesota Star Tribune, the state’s largest newspaper.
Know Your Rights
Encounters with ICE
- Immigrants & Refugees: Know Your Rights: How to handle encounters with ICE depending on your location, navigating possible detention, and legal assistance resources (Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota).
- Free download: Red Cards: All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC’s red cards give examples of how people can exercise these rights, available in multiple languages (Immigrant Legal Resource Center).
- Resources for Native people: your legal rights if approached by ICE (Native American Rights Fund).
Legal support
- Phone intake support: call the Immigration Law Center of MN’s detention line for brief legal advice and pro se resources.
- In-person & remote legal clinics: Immigrant Law Center is offering brief services clinic at Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center Friday mornings 10am – 12pm, through March 2026. Remote appointments available.
- Find people in ICE custody: use the ICE detainee locator.
- Creating Parental Authority documents: Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA); Delegation of Parental Authority in Minnesota; Delegation of Parental Authority – Do it Yourself (LawHelp Minnesota).
Attending a protest
If you’re planning to join protests, vigils, or other events, make sure you can do so safely and effectively. Democracy Security Project gathered their protest safety resources in one place to support you, including Protest Pocket Guide, De-Escalation Pocket Guide, Scripts & Tips, Emergency Preparedness Guidelines, Communication Frameworks, What to Know and Do at Events, and Understanding Law Enforcement.
- MN National Lawyers Guild Legal Hotline: Call for protest-related legal assistance, before, during or after an action: 612-444-2654.
- MN Uprising Arrestee Support (MUAS): Organizing to support people arrested during protests and uprisings.
Report civil rights violations
- Report incidents involving federal agents to the Attorney General, including violations of constitutional rights, business closures, reduced access to healthcare, school, or child care, etc.
- Report racial profiling, warrantless stops, detention by federal law enforcement to ACLU-MN for their ongoing litigation.
Become a legal observer
- For more information or for folks interested in becoming legal observers, Immigrant Defense Network – Protect the human rights and dignity of every Minnesotan is a great resource.
Workplace issues
- How to report wage theft in Minnesota: Spanish pdf (Minnesota Attorney General).
Nonprofit-specific guidance
Resources to help organizations protect their communities, staff, and operations.
What to do if ICE shows up
- Preparing for Immigration Enforcement: what businesses should do, and avoid, if ICE shows up (Lathrop GPM).
- A Guide for Employers: what to do if immigration comes to your workplace (NILC).
- What nonprofits should know about immigration site visits: webinar recording (MCN).
- Know Your Rights with ICE: FAQ to help Minnesota organizations continue to provide safe and welcoming environments (Minnesota Attorney General).
- ICE Raid resources for housing providers: Guidance for homeless service providers on what to do before, during, and after a raid by ICE (National Homelessness Law Center).
Legal support & services
- Free legal nonprofit services through MCN and LegalCORPS.
- LawHelpMN.org can connect individuals and communities to free legal help from Legal Aid offices in Minnesota.
- Civil Rights Laws and Nonprofit Missions (MCN & MCF Partner event training slides).
- There is concern that organizations providing support and involved in ICE protests could be labeled as “domestic terrorists.” Please take this short confidential survey to better equip the National Council of Nonprofits to protect our sector. If you have received any subpoenas or direct communications from federal law enforcement (Homeland Security) or from Congress, please contact NCN’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Campaigns Sarah Saadian at [email protected] or 202-834-5178.
Nonprofit advocacy
- Legal nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy: 501(c)3 nonprofits are legally allowed to participate in advocacy, but must remain nonpartisan. Legal, nonpartisan activities include issue advocacy, speaking up about the issues central to your mission. Just ensure your messaging is about the issue, not the people running on it (Alliance for Justice).
Protecting your operations
- Nonprofit resources to navigate uncertainty: focus on key levers of organizational stability – strong internal controls; sustainable revenue mix; strategic HR; and ethical leadership (MCN).
- Data security practices to protect your people and data: The safety and privacy of the people the nonprofit serves, and its staff, board, and volunteers must be a priority (NTEN).
- Strategic Decision-Making in a Time of Authoritarianism: when to comply and when to resist (Dragonfly Partners).
Take care of your staff
- Address the current climate with your staff: It’s important to recognize that your team members are most likely not working at full capacity right now, and that they may be fearing for their safety or the safety of loved ones.
- Supporting Nonprofit Health through Programming for Staff Wellbeing: webinar recording (National Council of Nonprofits).
- Reflecting on Staff Wellbeing Exercise for Nonprofit Teams (National Council of Nonprofits).
Learn more
- The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Mass Deportation: What’s at Risk in Minnesota: There are far-reaching social and humanitarian implications of this type of enforcement regime. But there is also an economic risk that can be quantified (Minnesota Budget Project).