Minneapolis, MN — Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL) and the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN) have raised more than $1.5 million in emergency relief to support immigrant families impacted by federal immigration enforcement operations across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. To date, over $700,000 has been directly distributed to families and trusted community organizations delivering frontline relief, with additional funds actively being distributed as urgent requests for assistance continue to be processed.
This rapid-response emergency fundraising effort was launched as immigration enforcement actions intensified at the start of the second Trump administration and further escalated during Operations Metro Surge and Parris, destabilizing communities across the region. These operations separated families, displaced children, injured elders, and exposed neighborhoods to chemical agents. The ripple effects extended far beyond immediate arrests: workers missed shifts, small businesses saw sharp declines in customers, schools reported attendance drops, and families experienced profound psychological and economic strain.
“Families are still terrified,” said Francisco Segovia, Executive Director of COPAL. “Parents hesitate to send their children to school. Workers forgo wages out of fear of detention. Families delay critical medical care. This support is stabilizing households facing immediate crisis.”
Although federal authorities announced the end of Operation Metro Surge, ICE activity continues statewide, sustaining what community leaders describe as an ongoing climate of fear, grief, and economic disruption.
“The trauma inflicted by these enforcement actions will not disappear when headlines fade,” said Edwin Torres DeSantiago of the Immigrant Defense Network. “Families are still bearing the human and economic toll of this campaign. Sustained community support is essential to long-term recovery.”
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, COPAL and IDN have responded to an unprecedented surge in community need, receiving more than 20,000 calls to COPAL’s Navigator Line, including requests for rent assistance, groceries, medical care, and other emergency support.
In addition to direct family assistance, COPAL and IDN have strengthened regional infrastructure by supporting community partners, including:
- A partnership expanding access to in‑home healthcare through a coordinated network of providers
- Direct support to 10 food shelves statewide, nine located in Greater Minnesota, addressing unprecedented demand.
- Support for eight partner organizations, including one in South Dakota, to strengthen regional capacity and coordinated response efforts.
This effort ensures critical resources reach families directly, helping them pay rent, access food, obtain medical care, and regain stability during a period of sustained disruption.
“We are so grateful to every community member, donor, and partner who has shown up,” said Carolina Ortiz, Associate Executive Director of COPAL. “Your support is making a difference. But this is not over—families still need support, and we will continue standing with them while demanding accountability from the federal government.”
COPAL and IDN remain committed to ensuring immigrant families across Minnesota can live with safety, dignity, and long-term stability.
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About COPAL
COPAL Minnesota is a member-based organization driven to improve the quality of life for Minnesota’s Latine communities. For more information, please visit www.copalmn.org.
About the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN)
The Immigrant Defense Network is a statewide network of more than 100 organizations committed to defending and advancing the rights, dignity, and safety of immigrant communities through rapid response, legal support, community organizing, and narrative change. For more information, please visit immigrantdefensenetwork.org.
