FEB GUNK (Gunk no.31)
On Organizing against ICE in South Minneapolis & how to support MN right now
I am so proud to be from Minneapolis. We appreciate that Brooklyn is willing to help us. We know that this is a marathon and not a sprint. It’s difficult to accept this, when the situation here is so horrific for so many. We are now seeing children being taken and used for bait. We are seeing teenagers chased down the street. People are scared to leave their homes. Amidst all of this, the people of MN are STANDING UP.
I am a teacher with three children and I live in South Minneapolis. My husband is a principal. We are everyday people who are watching ICE take over our city. Our only choice is to act. Everyone has a role to play and this only works if everyone gets involved and looks out for each other.
The primary way we are helping one another is by organizing neighborhood watches and acting as observers. Our signal chats are organized by building, blocks, streets, and neighborhoods - we are all interconnected. We send each other messages when ICE is spotted, and alert neighboring chats. This alerts everyone to come out of our homes with whistles to drive them away. If you don’t have your phone, but hear a whistle signal outside, you know to hustle. I have seen instances where this swarming response works. Last week I was an observer at a local elementary school and there was an ICE officer circling the block throughout the entire school drop-off time (20 minutes). Their car never stopped because there were so many of us there to observe and make sure kids got home safely.
If you are unable to be an observer, you can collect and pack groceries for families stuck at home. I do so at a local church. Each time I attend there are more and more people present there. This church serves over 25,000 families in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs, and they still need a lot of support.
Another important role is to make sure DOPA forms are accessible, translated into multiple languages. I learned from a friend who is an immigrant himself that many families do not have these filled out. When parents were detained, they didn’t have a place for the kids to go. There are white people going home to home with an authorized notary to help families get these forms filled out. We need to use our privilege to help one another.
My own family endured a school shooting this fall and in one of our sessions with a trauma counselor they said, “the way through trauma is connection and community”. I can assure you that is what I have found in both the aftermath of what we experienced and what our city is experiencing now. We have to be there for one another. Thank you for being willing to do that from afar. Here are some ways you can help from NYC.
First: If you have a friend living in Minneapolis, ask them if they know anyone who needs help. Send them a venmo so they can give money directly. Hyper localized mutual aid works immediately and builds community. *
Some organizations that could use support right now are:
DHH CHURCH (delivers food to families stuck at home and is providing rental assistance)
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/despensas-food-drive
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/rent-2
Donations to the Immigrant Law Center of MN would be helpful as their people are swamped with cases right now:
In case you would like to get organized in Brooklyn, this is a great resource for what to do. When I go to schools to observe I am almost immediately asked if I am a part of this organization. They know what they’re doing! There are also loads of resources included here
https://defend612.com/guides-toolkits/
The Immigrant Rapid Response Fund is another great resource to give donations to as they provide rent relief and money for groceries etc to local families in need.
https://www.wfmn.org/funds/immigrant-rapid-response/
Stand with Minnesota has great resources on ways to get involved and help as well.
https://www.standwithminnesota.com/
by Rose Spring Deboer
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xx Ceci & Hannah