In a move to support vulnerable communities, volunteers in Minneapolis are stepping up to deliver groceries to migrant residents who fear leaving their homes due to the heightened presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city. This comes as federal authorities have arrested thousands of individuals in recent weeks as part of Operation Metro Surge.
The Trump administration has described the targeted individuals as “murderers, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous,” a claim that local community leaders have disputed. Sergio Amezcua, a pastor at Dios Habla Hoy church in South Minneapolis, told The New York Times that ICE appears to be targeting non-white people, a allegation federal officials have denied.
Amezcua and other community members decided to take action to assist those too afraid to venture out for essential supplies as federal agents flood the streets. “Our community is traumatized,” he said. “People that are born here are traumatized.”
So far, Amezcua’s church has received nearly 25,000 requests for groceries, with 14,000 deliveries of goods such as meat, milk and hygiene products already completed. While some of the groceries have been donated by food banks, individual community members have also contributed to the cause.
Minneapolis resident Germaine Grueneberg, who was signing up to volunteer last Friday, expressed the urgency of the situation. “I think the desperation is palpable right now, and we need to do something,” she told the NYT. “I’m lucky enough to have the privilege of a comfortable home, being able to buy my own food and go out and feel somewhat safe, for the most part, and it’s about time that we support our neighbors.”
Minneapolis has been a flashpoint amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Earlier this month, Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ros in the city, sparking public outrage. The Trump administration has framed the shooting as self-defence.
In response, the Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to at least five top Democratic Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz, as the agency appears to investigate whether state and local officials conspired to impede federal agents from immigration enforcement. Walz has stated that his focus has been on “protecting the people of this state, not protecting myself,” as families, children and small businesses continue to suffer the consequences of the ongoing turmoil.
