On Friday, Jan. 23, Minneapolis residents made signs at Insight Brewing in advance of a protest downtown. In addition to a sign-making station, the company gave away free coffee, provided hand warmers and held a supply drive to support individuals targeted by federal-agent activities in the city. (Michael McKinney)
In the wake of increased ICE activity in Minneapolis, business owners and residents have started looking for ways to support their neighbors. For California Street Farm owner Elyssa Eull, this means direct action in coordination with a nearby elementary school.
The effort takes place against the backdrop of escalating federal immigration enforcement operations in the city. The influx of agents, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” led to two fatal agent-involved shootings: the Jan. 7 death of Renée Good and the Jan. 24 death of Alex Pretti. The incidents have drawn national attention, protests, calls for accountability and grassroots fundraising efforts to aid those directly affected by ICE’s operations.
The Coffee Shop NE and its patrons donated 600 lbs. of food and necessities in December and over 1,000 lbs. in January to those affected by Operation Metro Surge. (Davis Steen)
In a phone interview, Eull said residents at a recent Bottineau Neighborhood Association (BNA) meeting told her they wanted “localized suggestions on how to help with ICE stuff.”
Within a few days, they connected with administration and a social worker at the elementary school to organize a food drive. (Eull declined to share the name of the school, saying many of its families are in a “pretty vulnerable position.”)
California Street Farm recently started working with a nearby elementary school whose students have been impacted by federal activity, providing them with nonperishable food. (Elyssa Eull)
“(The school) told us what it wants and needs,” Eull said, “and we’ve spread the word about the food drive.” Community members deliver items to Mojo Coffee Gallery, located across the street from California Street Farm. From there, individuals pick up goods and take them to the school.
“It’s been sweet to see how people have reached out to us to see how they can help.”
For now, California Street Farm and the BNA have decided that they’re “ultimately here to do this indefinitely.
“There’s this great need, and it’s not going away,” Eull said.
While they don’t have records of how much they’ve donated at present, Eull is optimistic about their impact.
“I don’t know if I could tell you an amount, but I know the school has a room that’s completely (filled) to the gills with non-perishable items. We had to give them an additional refrigerator, because they don’t have space to store it all.”
The scene mirrors the view from Valley View Elementary, in Columbia Heights, where a room near the front of the office is filled with nonperishable items donated by families.
Patrons gathered at Bar Oscar on Jan. 27 for a charity event. That night, 50% of all profits and 100% of tips and door cover were donated to the Immigration Defense Network. “Anything we can do with the limited platform and space we have… I think it’s important that we do that and make sure the people in the community know where we stand,” said Bar Oscar co-owner Jeff Luten. (Luis de Leon)
Fundraisers at restaurants
On Tuesday, January 27, at 8 p.m., patrons filled Bar Oscar on Central Avenue shoulder-to-shoulder — but not just for music and cocktails.
On Jan. 27, co-owners Jeff Luten and Michael Hoolihan said 50% of all profits and 100% of tips and door cover for the special event would be donated to the Immigration Defense Network, a collective “dedicated to protecting and advancing the constitutional rights of immigrant communities across Minnesota.” The atmosphere was lively with a special cocktail menu which the bar said on Instagram was “served free of ICE.”
“I think that anything we can do with the limited platform and space we have, which isn’t much, but I think it’s important that we do that (and) make sure the people in the community know where we stand,” Luten said before the event.
Hoolihan added that they’ve long had a diverse workforce of immigrants, which he called the backbone of the business.
“When there’s an attack on them, it’s an attack on us,” Hoolihan said. “We want to be a safe space and send a message as well — we got your back as much as we can.”
Down the street at Francis Burger Joint’s Northeast location, the front bar has a spread of resources to help patrons navigate encounters with ICE: documents teaching de-escalation techniques, whistles to use while observing ICE agents, materials to remove irritants like pepper spray or tear gas from one’s eyes.
“We feel, and our staff feel largely, here that it is part of our responsibility to help protect from 26ish to 23rd on Central,” co-owner Lindsey Johnston said during a meeting with fellow co-owners Garrett Born and Brendan Viele.
Recently, the vegan burger restaurant posted on social media that customers can now buy a burger and fries “for someone in need or (for) volunteers working on the front lines of community support.” The co-owners said they’re hoping to expand these efforts with other established networks helping those in need.
“If we can keep the sort of positivity and energy and community that people have been putting into it, God willing that we can move past all of this and we can move forward,” said Viele. “I think the city (and) the communities will be much stronger and much more connected.”
Over on Hennepin Avenue, Fletcher’s Ice Cream posted on social media that customers now have the option to include a brief “message of hope” with their order or a donation to the ACLU Minnesota chapter.
The front counter at Francis Burger Joint is stocked with whistles and supplies for ICE observers as well as pamphlets informing residents of what they should do if they witness federal agent activity. (Luis de Leon)
Breweries close taps, open doors
On Friday, January 23, businesses, individuals and politicians promoted a general strike in protest of ICE’s activity in the state. Dubbed “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom,” the protest and labor stoppage was organized by multiple organizations, including unions, faith leaders, lawmakers and activists.
The day was the first general strike in the United States in 80 years, and it was the first in Minnesota since a 1934 strike against most of the trucking companies operating in Minneapolis.
As part of the protest, hundreds of businesses said they would cease operations for the day. Many cafes and bars stayed open but did not sell any goods, serving instead as places for community members to warm up.
At Insight Brewing, 2821 E Hennepin Ave, ownership set out free coffee and hand warmers, organized a food drive and set out materials for community members to make signage. That day, they were sending donations to Neighborhood House, an organization dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities.
“We’ve been accepting donations since last Friday, and we’ll keep accepting (for) as long as we need to. We’re going to keep doing it until people feel like they’re able to leave their house safely,” said Joey Steinbach, marketing manager.
In a January 27 post to social media, Insight Brewing shared that it has “donated more than 12,000 pounds of supplies to local families and food shelves.”
At Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St NE, Taylor Girocco, the taproom operations manager, said they intend to take donations “indefinitely,” adding that they are working with SACA “and a couple other groups.”