For the past three months, increased ICE presence in Minnesota has incited fear and obstructed food access for many communities of color.
Immigrants have been afraid to step outside their homes, even for simple errands or to attend worship. Hard working people missed shifts and businesses shuttered. Children stayed home from school and daycare. Families delayed treatment and missed doctor’s appointments. Elders were cut off from community and critical services.
“It’s been very difficult to watch our vibrant community disappear out of fear.”
-Stephanie Lehman, Anoka County Brotherhood Council Executive Director
Fear Reshapes Food Access
Minnesota’s hunger landscape shifted radically in the past few months. Food shelf visits across Minnesota dipped by 7% in January compared to last year and visits in Ramsey and Hennepin counties dropped by a dramatic 17%.
Afraid of visiting grocery stores and food shelves, people turned to mutual aid and trusted community touchpoints like churches, schools, and restaurants. Although a drawdown of ICE agents has reportedly begun, immigrant communities are still being targeted and the fear persists.
“Fear has reshaped access. Where we’re going next is continued demand and more invisible need. There are still many people who are going to be out there who are going to still need food. But they’re going to seem very hesitant to access that food in their normal ways they did before.”
-David Peeples, Director of Programs at The Food Group
Fear should never be a barrier to access food. Alongside our partners, The Food Group is rapidly responding to ensure food is safely getting to immigrant communities targeted by ICE. Our rapid response has been focused on getting food safely to community, convening partners, and increasing long-term response capacity.
Getting Food to Community
The Food Group is honored to partner with South Minneapolis church Dios Habla Hoy (DHH) to help meet unprecedented need in many communities of color. Together, we have delivered over 100,000 pounds of food to 30,000 immigrant families.
Those deliveries include fresh produce and culturally connected staples like rice, beans, and masa flour. Pastor Sergio commented, “We are actually doing high quality boxes [of food] with The Food Group compared to the other ones we were doing somewhere else.”
When Operation Metro Surge began, Pastor Sergio recalls, “We saw that people were going to be afraid to come out of their homes.” With deep roots in their South Minneapolis community, DHH was positioned to serve as a trusted food access hub.
They quickly shared a link on their social media where immigrant families afraid to leave home could sign up for groceries. Within less than 24 hours, 20,000 families had registered and DHH realized they would need help.
“We got help from the Food Group right after that third week of Operation Metro Surge. The Food Group showed up with two full trucks of food, and that’s when our partnership began.”
-Pastor Sergio, Dios Habla Hoy
It’s been a perfect match—DHH is deeply embedded in impacted communities, and The Food Group can provide resources, warehouse packing space, and food safety infrastructure. Thanks to a team of tireless volunteers, we’ve been able to efficiently pack food and deliver where it’s most needed.
“Our church facility wasn’t built for it, so it was extra work we were doing. It has been a blessing to be able to do it at your warehouse because The Food Group has logistics and everything. We are happy to partner with The Food Group.”
-Pastor Sergio, Dios Habla Hoy
The Food Group and DHH are continuing to expand our partnership to deliver free food to those who need it most. In addition, The Food Group has shared over 100,000 pounds of culturally connected, nutrient-rich food with Minnesotans through our food shelf partners. We also delivered free food directly to community members at our affordable grocery programs.
Convening Partners for Safe Food Access
Many families couldn’t access traditional food resources like food shelves. Safety planning and creative delivery were paramount—so food banks and food shelves went back to the drawing board together.
The Food Group was honored to convene conversations with more than 150 hunger relief partners from across Minnesota to explore and launch home delivery, food lockers, drive-up models, and other innovative solutions. Stephanie commented on the importance of that space for ACBC Food Shelf:
“The Food Group was one of the first organizations to offer an opportunity for agency partners to get together, talk, and learn from one another. These meetings helped us navigate through this difficult and heartbreaking situation.”
-Stephanie Lehman, Executive Director Anoka County Brotherhood
Many food shelves reinvested in COVID-era programs or piloted new models with safety and equitable access in mind. Stephanie Lehman, Executive Director of food shelf partner Anoka County Brotherhood Council (ACBC) shared how ACBC has adapted to meet the need: “We were able to rapidly pivot resources to a delivery model which served hundreds of our community members each month.”
Georgi Nguyen, Director of Basic Needs at food shelf partner Keystone Community Services, commented during a recent food access panel hosted by The Food Group: “We’re prepared for any scenario, trying to make our spaces as safe as possible for our community members with whatever power that we have.”
Increasing Long-Term Capacity
Operation Metro Surge will have long-term impact on the hunger landscape statewide. The damage being done to communities is extensive, and it will take time to rebuild trust.
The Food Group is working to increase food shelves’ capacity to respond to the need and safely deliver food. Thanks to our generous community, we are providing free food credits for food shelves who have adapted their programming in response to the immigrant food access crisis.
Meeting Fear with Persistence
The tension in our state has been palpable these past few months, but so has the tenacity of our Minnesota community. At a recent soccer game, Minnesota United fans unfurled a banner with an illustration of a beloved Minnesota loon alongside these words: “We have friends everywhere.” The message across our state rings loud and clear—we are with you; you are not alone.
Neighbors are checking in and ensuring families have groceries. Restaurants, stores, and churches have been transformed into hubs for mutual aid and food distribution. Food banks and food shelves are partnering with unexpected allies to get food where it’s most needed. Volunteers are giving their time and energy to pack and deliver groceries.
“Our community has met fear with persistence and courage. The Food Group is proud to stand with immigrants and partner with grassroots community-led organizations, food shelf partners, and hunger relief organizations across our state to ensure fear is not a barrier to food.”
-Sophia Lenarz-Coy, The Food Group Executive Director
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