Valentine’s for immigrants: Know your rights during raids
Immigrant Valentine’s Cards offer rights advice
On Friday some Minnesotans were offering immigrant communities advice on their rights through Valentine’s Day cards. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the story.
(FOX 9) - Some Minnesota farmers and business owners are sending Valentine’s Day cards showing more than just love to members of the immigrant community.
Valentine's Day advice
Showing love:
They’re giving instructions on how to handle interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Protests spread across the state on Friday, beginning at a Rochester restaurant that closed on Thursday after ICE arrested two employees showing up for work.
Defenders say the arrests directly hurt the men and Nupa Mediterranean Grill, but the aftershocks will hurt families and businesses statewide.
"This is not replacing American workers," said Ryan Perez of the immigration support group COPAL. "These are businesses that are going to go down under. These are places that immigrants in the community are now free to shop at, afraid, too afraid to engage in the economy in Rochester because they're afraid of leaving their houses."
Cracking down
Cost-cutting:
The Trump administration promised to crack down on illegal immigration and ICE agents are believed to have made several arrests in the Rochester area this week.
Advocates say Republicans in Minnesota are also targeting immigrants, including with bills that would prevent them from getting free college through the North Star Promise.
"We already know that over $86,000 of taxpayer dollars have gone to fund people who are here illegally," said Rep. Isaac Schultz (R-Elmdale Township).
That program requires undocumented students to be on a path to legal immigration status after at least three years of high school in Minnesota.
Enforcement or enrichment
Farmers are fans:
Meanwhile, their parents are a driving force in revitalizing rural communities and economies, according to some farming groups.
"They have been the backbone of our Minnesota food and farming system for many decades," said Beth Slocum of the Land Stewardship Project.
The Immigrant Defense Network is monitoring ICE activity in Minnesota and expecting more soon.
They delivered a list of rights for immigrants inside more than 14,000 Valentine’s Day cards.
"We are shifting the narrative, replacing fear with hope, division with unity, and hate with love," said Montha Chum, founder of MN8.
Immigration enforcement officials have said they’re targeting the most dangerous undocumented immigrants for arrest.
But they’re now facing a series of lawsuits accusing the administration of overstepping.