Copied below is a letter a Minneapolis woman wrote to her mother-in-law in IA. Before she permitted me to post it she edited out any data that could be used to identify her. ICE so using facial recognition to intimidate protestors.
"I’m sure you’ve seen the news coming out of Minneapolis. I wanted to give you an update on what things are actually like here. It may be difficult to imagine, but the reality is probably worse than what you may be seeing or hearing.
Our days are filled with a constant mix of grief, rage, and fear, all while trying to support our community, work full-time jobs, and maintain some sense of normalcy for our kids. I am not in the minority in feeling this way. Everyone I interact with, in the grocery store, at work, in the coffee shop, across the city and even in the suburbs, is living with a constant sense of anxiety and fear. This is also not isolated to certain neighborhoods or limited to the stories making the news. It is widespread throughout Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, including the conservative ones.
Every day, in addition to the large news stories, I hear reports of multiple ICE incidents within my own neighborhood, targeting schools, businesses, and neighbors. There has been a lot of dialogue within Minneapolis comparing ICE’s presence to the Gestapo, and while I could never fully understand what it was like to live during that time, I can clearly see the validity of the comparison. They have set up checkpoints on roads and highways. Anyone who appears to be anything other than white is carrying around their birth certificate and passport everywhere they go. Even with proof of citizenship, people are not safe from being detained. They are avoiding leaving the home alone or driving at night. This includes some of my friends, co-workers, and fellow elementary school moms of Black, Asian, Mexican, and Filipino descent.
Every morning I wonder what news I may wake up to. Did someone else die? Was another child taken? I can’t stop thinking about Liam, a 5 year old boy like my son, with his Spider-Man backpack, who was taken from his home, his mom, his friends, and his life. I think about how confused and scared he probably has been.
We’ve had to sit down with our daughter, not once, but twice now, and try to find the words to explain to a 6 year old that a member of our community was killed for standing up to the people that are hurting our community. I wish we could have let her live in ignorance, but we learned the hard way after the Annunciation shooting that children talk at school and it is better for her to hear these things from us, to be reassured that she is safe, and to feel comfortable coming to us with questions.
Many families, including those here legally, are not leaving their homes for work or medical care because they fear for their safety. As a result, they are struggling to pay rent, buy groceries, diapers, and basic necessities. I have heard reports of mothers reusing soiled diapers repeatedly because they cannot safely access clean ones. Pregnant women are skipping doctor appointments out of fear. There has been more than one incident of a baby left behind in a car in below zero temperatures after ICE abducted their parent. These are not isolated events. This is happening daily to countless families across the Twin Cities.
I am involved in a few different efforts right now, mostly my energy is focused on supporting our schools. Schools, hospitals, and churches once had “sanctuary” protections where ICE could not operate in or around them. Those protections are no longer there since January. Since January 6, there has been a “Code Yellow” at a Minneapolis public school every single day. A Code Yellow means ICE agents are on foot within two blocks of a school. On top of that, approximately 40% of Minneapolis Public School students are not attending school due to fear of being profiled and taken, even if they are here legally. There have been verified reports of parents being detained at school bus stops.
At my son’s preschool, I am helping out by vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning bathrooms after school once a week because the cleaning staff no longer feel safe coming in. At my daughter’s elementary school, I help patrol during pickup, to be present in case violent activity occurs nearby, as it did at Roosevelt High School. I have also bought groceries for families in need. For providing this kind of aid, people like me are being labeled “domestic terrorists” and accused of being part of organized insurrectionist groups. We are not extremists, we are parents, neighbors, and community members responding to the needs directly in front of us.
There are countless mutual aid funds supporting different needs right now. If you are able, I would deeply appreciate you considering a donation."
A Minneapolis Woman
Al says, Rent Relief For Minneapolis School Families, givebutter.com is a good cause.
Also share this with others so they learn about the situation here.
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