Asian Media Access has joined countless community members and agencies on a wild ride since the federal “Operation Metro Surge” hit Minneapolis in December 2025. Operation Metro Surge was a federal initiative led by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), aimed at apprehending undocumented immigrants and deporting them. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called it “the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out.” The surge was marked by heightened ICE tactics, harassment, and threats against both community members and observers.
Originally part of a broader federal enforcement initiative launched from Chicago, the operation escalated quickly. Federal agents shot three people, killing two — including Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026; racially profiled residents demanding proof of legal residency; detained legal immigrants and transported them across state lines, including young children; deployed chemical irritants on public school property; caused multiple car crashes; and smashed the windows of observers’ cars before releasing them without charges. Federal officials reported approximately 4,000 arrests during the operation.
Even as the operation unfolded, Minneapolis responded the way it often does — with neighbors supporting neighbors on a scale resembling a natural disaster relief effort. Churches, schools, coffee shops, and local stores became pop-up collection centers for food and necessities, distributed to immigrants sheltering at home in fear of ICE. Car horns and whistles became a constant soundtrack in parts of the Twin Cities as a large, decentralized community movement organized to alert immigrants and document federal activity in real time. It seems fitting that this is the city once called home by the late Senator Paul Wellstone, who built his career on the enduring truth that “we all do better when we all do better.”
A new legal development offers additional protection: on February 12, 2026, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a Temporary Restraining Order preventing the CDC from terminating more than $600 million in public health funding designated for four plaintiff states — California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota. The states alleged they were targeted for these cuts due to “political animus,” including disagreement with the Administration’s policies on unrelated issues such as immigration enforcement. Asian Media Access is among the affected organizations, whose CDC REACH grant was temporarily terminated and then reinstated by the Court. For organizations serving immigrant and refugee communities devastated by Operation Metro Surge, this court ruling represents a critical lifeline.
The economic damage from the surge is staggering and deeply personal: $203 million in total documented harm, including $81 million in lost business revenue and $47 million in lost wages — translating directly into missed rent, unpaid payroll, and shuttered storefronts across neighborhoods like Cedar-Riverside, Frogtown, and North Minneapolis. Asian Media Access has stepped up, hosting a “Dos and Don’ts to Protect Everyone” workshop to highlight practical steps for supporting communities.
Now, as Operation Metro Surge winds down, many resources have rolled in to aid recovery. The Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) and other business associations offer emergency business relief funds. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) provides free, direct legal representation to low-income immigrants in Minnesota, including defense for those in deportation proceedings. MN8 offers know-your-rights training. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) offers small business relief and workforce recovery programs. Local cultural CBOs, including CAPI USA and Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES), connect families to emergency financial assistance, housing support, and mental health resources. Please see the resource links below for more information.
Photo Courtesy: Humanizing Through Story
RESOURCES:
1) CLUES Emergency Relief Fund focuses on rental assistance, cultural food, and emergency interventions. https://clues.org/relief-fund/
2) Economic Response Fund hosted by Minneapolis Foundation. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis in weekly cycles. Early submission does not guarantee funding. Decisions will typically be made within 2-3 weeks of application submission, with funds distributed as quickly as possible by below agencies:
African Development Center- Lake Street Council
- Latino Economic Development Center
- LISC MN
- Neighborhood Development Center
- PFund Foundation
- West Bank Business Association
3) MN DEED: Governor Tim Walz has proposed a $10 million emergency relief package for Minnesota small businesses affected by a recently concluded federal immigration surge operation. The one-time funding, to be administered through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), would provide partially forgivable loans ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 to eligible businesses demonstrating substantial revenue losses during the operation.
4) Southeast Asian and Immigrant/Refugee Small Business Stabilization Grant: The HAP Hmong American Partnership is offering grants of up to $5,000 to support Southeast Asian and immigrant/refugee business owners with brick-and-mortar businesses in the Greater Twin Cities area. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 8, 2026. Applicants will be notified of their status by March 31, 2026. Learn more and apply https://hmong.tfaforms.net/69
5) CAPI USA will have Resources to provide a one-time rental assistance payment for eligible immigrant households up to $1,500. Once an application has been filled out, CAPI staff will work directly with the landlord to ensure payment is processed. Help is available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. Support is offered until all $50,000 funds have been used. For more information or to apply, call 612-721-0122 or email financialservices@capiusa.org.
Applicant Eligibility Requirements:
- Must reside in Brooklyn Center.
- Their rent is past due, and they are currently living in the unit for which they are requesting rental assistance.
- They have a denial letter from Hennepin County Emergency Assistance or another rental assistance provider, OR are at risk of eviction.
- They are an immigrant family experiencing significant financial hardship related to federal enforcement actions, including, but not limited to:
- A family member being detained or deported
- Severe loss of income due to concerns for personal or family safety
- Closure of their small business
6) Free Immigration Legal Consultation from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) of the City of Minneapolis for immigration legal consultation on Wednesdays and Fridays including both in person and virtual:
- VLN: Wednesdays 2-4 PM at Careerforce 777 E Lake St and virtually
- MMLA: Fridays 10-noon at Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center: 505 15th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55454 and virtually
Contact OIRA 612-673-3129 for more information about virtual hours.
7) RENTER SUPPORT FUND: The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is humbled by the opportunity to expand our Renter Support Fund (RSF) to help keep Minneapolis residents housed in the coming months. Over $300,000 has poured in from across the city, state, and around the world to respond to the high-pressure and violent tactics used by ICE agents in the past couple of months, as the world watched our community’s bravery in protecting our most vulnerable neighbors. To reallocate these funds directly and promptly to our neighbors in need, we are thrilled to announce that our new expansion program is effective immediately. In February 2026, we launched our grant expansion plan and provided direct aid to 57 individual Minneapolis renters, up to $1200 per renter. Learn more and engage at www.ppna.org.
8) Hennepin County emergency rental assistance:
Hennepin County provides emergency rental assistance for renters who are at immediate risk of eviction. The county’s emergency rent assistance program, Rent Help Hennepin, will provide $9.6 million to prevent more than 2,500 evictions in 2026.
This year, the City of Minneapolis has also partnered with Hennepin County to allocate an additional $1 million toward emergency rent support.
