Updates and Resources

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 01/13/2026 05:06 PM CST

News from Council Member Soren Stevenson

Dear Ward 8 Neighbors,

As we start another difficult week in our city under the occupation of hostile federal agents, I want you to know that I am with you and committed to doing everything I can to support you and all of our neighbors. This email is long because it contains a lot of information, but I hope it is helpful. For any questions or to connect with my office you can reach us:

I will also be holding Ward 8 Office Hours, where you can come meet with me and my team, this Friday 1/16 from 10:30am-12pm at Turtle Bread Company at 4762 Chicago Ave. Please join us for any questions you may have, or to talk about what you would like to see from our office during this time.

Updates From City Hall

After having conversations with many of you, and receiving close to 900 emails (and counting) urging me and my colleagues to take action to stop evictions during the state of emergency that we are in, yesterday I joined Council Members Robin Wonsley, Jason Chavez and Council Vice President Jamal Osman in co-sponsoring the Evict ICE, not US Resolution. This resolution calls on Gov. Tim Walz to immediately pass a moratorium on evictions while ICE occupies our city (now and in the future). We know that right now staying home is critically important to the safety of so many of our immigrant neighbors. Facing eviction in the face of this is completely unacceptable. We must do everything we can to protect and support all of our neighbors, and I understand this is an urgent and needed step towards that.

The Evict ICE, not US resolution will be introduced during the City Council’s full meeting on Thursday, 1/15 at 2pm. A public hearing will be held at this time, and I want to encourage everyone who is able to come testify in support. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 350 S 5th St, in room 380. Any Minneapolis resident is invited to attend and give up to 2 minutes of testimony. In addition to testifying, I encourage everyone to sign onto this petition calling on state officials to take action to stop evictions under occupation: bit.ly/stopevictionsmn and this petition calling on other City Council Members and the Mayor to support the Evict ICE, not US Resolution.

In other news, yesterday the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, and the City of Saint Paul, jointly filed a lawsuit to stop the federal government’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and dangerous federal immigration actions in our state. We are suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and senior federal officials responsible for directing the immigration enforcement surge in the metro area. The focus of the lawsuit is to safeguard the State’s and Cities’ ability to protect their communities’ well-being, accountability, and basic constitutional protections that the federal government is ignoring. The lawsuit seeks to stop the Trump administration from continuing to violate the law in its immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis and across the state. In the lawsuit, we are asking the court for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to immediately stop the federal government’s unlawful activity in Minnesota. Federal agents are causing great harm to our communities and putting all of us in danger, and this is one step the city is taking to try to stop them.

Ways to Get Involved

With reports of 1,000 more agents coming into our city, we need more residents to be active in protecting our neighbors as well. I urge you to get involved in organizing and rapid response work. There are many different ways to get involved and take action, and we need each other right now more than ever. Here are some ways to plug in:

1. Join a Neighborhood Network to patrol for and respond to ICE when they are in your neighborhood. You can join at the Defend612 website and learn how to join and find other resources.

2. Join a “Know Your Rights Canvass” to visit immigrant-owned businesses with other neighbors, and provide helpful resources and information on what their rights are if ICE tries to enter their space. We are working on organizing one in Ward 8, but you can join the next one in the Longfellow Neighborhood this Sunday at 1:30pm. You can sign up now 

3. Support and join Mutual Aid efforts to help neighbors that have been impacted by ICE. DHH Church is helping connect families in need with groceries and food deliveries, you can sign up to volunteer.  Up-to-date information can be found on their DHH Church Facebook page.

You can also get involved with Sen. Zaynab Mohamed’s Food Drive for our Minneapolis Neighbors.

Here are some other groups that are helping with on the ground support for our neighbors:
- Joyce Uptown Food Shelf
- Twin Cities Food Justice
- MN Immigrant Rights Committee (MIRAC)
*Please note that neither my office or I have any affiliation with these organizations or fundraisers
4. Supporting immigrant-owned businesses that are impacted by ICE. Many of the businesses that make Minneapolis the vibrant place that we love are struggling and need our support right now. Some great options in our community are Plaza Mexico, Tacos El Kevin, Karmel Mall, Cocina Latina, Los Andes Latin Bistro (and many more!)
Resources
Below are some resources from the City and other entities for this moment. We are also attaching some flyers with more resources to this email. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or if there are more resources we can help connect you with. 

Our office has been in communication with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s office regarding what to do if you or a loved one are detained by ICE. Here are the resources and information they provided us:

For Immigrants

  • County jails in MN that house people arrested by ICE are currently at capacity. After an arrest, most people are being held at Whipple temporarily until they are transferred to larger facilities out of state.
  • ICE generally has 48 hours to update someone’s whereabouts in the detainee locator system. Family can find this through Google
  • That means 48 hours after an arrest OR 48 hours after a transfer. It appears ICE is often holding people at Whipple for 12-24 hours, then transferring someone elsewhere, meaning it may be 36 or more hours before their location is updated. There also appears to be a delay due to the volume of arrests ICE is making.
  • ICE has told us that families and attorneys can email the St. Paul ICE inbox, which is the best way to try to get info on someone's location. BUT family members will need an ICE authorization form, and attorneys would need a G-28 in order for ICE to provide any details. The ICE privacy waiver is attached. The email is stpaul.outreach@ice.dhs.gov.
  • The most important thing for family members to do immediately after an arrest is to try to retain an immigration attorney. That's going to be the most impactful way to help their loved one.
  • If the person has an urgent medical issue or is a minor, our office can engage ICE immediately to ensure they get adequate medical care or can be in communication with their family. ICE generally requires we have a privacy release form completed by the individual we are contacting them about, but we have seen some flexibility when it comes to urgent medical issues. (And a parent/guardian can fill out the form on behalf of a minor.) We will need next-of-kin to complete a privacy release form and provide relevant documents.
  • Constituents can call Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s office at 612-333-1272 for assistance. Their office is monitoring calls from 9am to 9pm every day, including weekends. It is best for constituents to contact us through their office line so that all members of our team have access to any requests.
  • If someone has an upcoming immigration court hearing, ICE check-in, are subject to a final removal order, or are concerned about being arrested, they may consider saving a signed copy of ICE’s privacy waiver in a password-protected google drive that is accessible to a trusted friend or family member who can contact our office in case of emergency. Please note that ICE waiver is valid for 90 days from the date it is signed. If there is an immigration attorney, they may consider keeping a copy of their G-28 in the same place.
  • Know Your Rights information is available on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s website.

For U.S. Citizens

  • Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s office is aware of U.S. citizens being arrested in the 5th District.
  • For the cases they have inquired on or tracked, ICE has released citizens within a few hours of their arrest without charges. We do think it is important for folks to understand that although we believe these arrests are unlawful and intended to terrorize our communities, we have not seen long-term detentions or criminal charges resulting from these arrests. Of course, that may change as the surge progresses.
  • Their office can inquire with ICE immediately if a U.S. citizen from the district has been arrested.
  • An ICE privacy waiver (attached) is preferable, if someone’s loved one has a completed copy on-hand. If they do not have that, we have been submitting inquiries with a privacy form from next-of-kin.
  • They will also need a copy of the person’s proof of citizenship, e.g. a photo of their passport or birth certificate.
  • Family members may also want to contact a civil liberties or legal advocacy group to report the arrest and request legal assistance. In the cases we’ve tracked, it does seem to help when a lawyer is also engaging ICE about the detention of a citizen.
  • Join a *FREE* Nonviolent Direct Action Training on Sunday, January 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in South Minneapolis for the pro-immigrant, pro-democracy, pro-labor movement! Whether you have never before joined a protest, or you have years of organizing experience, this hands-on training is for you. Sign up here
  • You can sign up here to get community safety-related information and updates from the City.
  • Recognizing City Employee Uniforms: With multiple federal agencies in town, you should be familiar with the uniforms worn by City of Minneapolis employees. Here’s what they look like – from police to animal control. Please note that nobody in a City uniform will ever ask for your immigration status or participate in any federal immigration enforcement activity. Our officers do not wear masks to hide their identity. We work for and with our community, not against them: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MPLS/bulletins/4039c1c

Know your rights: Everyone has constitutional protections — regardless of immigration status. Before opening your door to ICE, know your rights, as recommended by the Immigrant Law Center. Remember to assert them calmly and safely. Find more Know Your Rights resources on our website: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MPLS/bulletins/403db4d

Know Your Rights

The Immigrant Law Center suggests the following if federal immigration agents come to your home. Remember:
- ICE needs a judge-signed warrant with your name and address to enter.
- You can ask them to show you the warrant through the window or under the door.

If there is no valid warrant, you have the right to keep your door closed.

Information about food/shelter resources from the City are available at:

Thank you and solidarity,
Council Member Soren Stevenson