Dear Minneapolis, 

For the past three months, the rest of America has watched as you experienced the unthinkable in your streets.    

We watched as ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a Hmong American and U.S. citizen, was wrongfully detained by ICE and dragged outside of his home without clothes in subfreezing temperatures.  

We watched as 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, an asylum seeker in a floppy bunny hat, was used as bait by ICE to lure his parents outside.  

We watched as hundreds of immigrant families — including U.S. citizens and legal immigrants — hid in their homes in fear, terrified of being forcefully removed from their communities and loved ones.  

We watched as Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were brutally killed by ICE agents. 

We also witnessed your response — and we are grateful.  

We witnessed your neighborliness as your faith communities and community organizations coordinated to meet the basic needs of immigrant families. We witnessed your generosity as you housed at-risk community members, even taking on legal guardianships to protect children.  

We witnessed your commitment to American freedom as your police officers, health workers and business leaders advocated to uphold Constitutional liberties. We witnessed your principled courage as you made your beliefs public through community events, protest, political pressure and more.  

You probably disagree with each other on lots of things, including immigration enforcement. You probably don’t see eye-to-eye on lots of topics that divide us — gun rights, abortion access, issues of human sexuality.  And yet, when your neighbors’ rights and dignity were under attack, you showed up.   

We wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you served, drove, rallied and organized alongside folks you had disagreed with before. And that’s exactly what made this so beautiful. 

Pluralism is a wonky word that can feel out of touch with the terrifying realities of the abuse of power. Nevertheless, you have shown us what it looks like to live out pluralism in crisis. The simple idea that we can live together in equal dignity and mutual loyalty is fundamentally under threat in the tactics of Operation Metro Surge, and Americans are remarkably aligned in their opposition.  

Minneapolis, you have — repeatedly and under increasing pressure — respected your neighbors, prioritized relationships and activated around shared needs. Thank you for showing us what America can be, and for reminding us of the America we’re trying to build.  

To thank you, Interfaith America is investing $100,000 in 16 community anchors across Minneapolis that are showing us the path forward. Because of what you have shown us, we want to give back to you.  

We are a national nonprofit committed to advancing pluralism, where we cooperate across difference for the common good. These local institutions are showing us what pluralism looks like on the ground:  

• Al-Maa’uun Mosque, to support trainers to convene spaces to process grief and re-form community. 
• Augsburg University, to host community events that partner with community and faith leaders to meet the needs of impacted communities. 
• Bethel University, to partner with the Islamic Center of Minnesota to strengthen Christian-Muslim community bonds during overlapping seasons of Lent and Ramadan, engaging Christian students to support impacted Muslim communities by purchasing food and delivering food from Muslim-owned businesses to local Muslim families. 
• City Church, to purchase and distribute staple groceries for families facing financial or language barriers. 
• Columbia Heights Mutual Aid, to purchase iftar meals from local Muslim businesses for impacted Muslim families. 
• Community Resource Center of St. Andrew’s, to expand food delivery services for local impacted families. 
• First Presbyterian Church, to strengthen relationships between First Presbyterian and a local Spanish-speaking congregation by providing weekly groceries and other financial support for 39 impacted families. 
• Heights Next, to build local food hubs to support immigrant families; pairing over 100 vetted community drivers with immigrant Muslim households to foster trust and meet immediate needs. 
• ISAIAH, to host nonpartisan community gatherings to strengthen social connection across faith, race and geography. 
• Minnesota Council of Churches, to increase staff capacity to serve as community connectors offering legal and other community assistance to impacted immigrant communities. 
• Minnesota Multifaith Network, to host interfaith conversations to process moral injury and discern commitments to public solidarity. 
• St. Catherine’s University, for a large interfaith dinner with a community partners to re-build community and trust across faith traditions. 
• Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to provide emergency housing stability for legally documented immigrant families who are unable to work due to ICE presence and expanding bilingual hotline to support immigrant families in crisis. 
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, to host a leadership symposium for the university community to learn about courageous pluralism as a framework and practical approach to build community across the university. 
• University of St. Thomas, to provide emergency financial support for University of St. Thomas students impacted by ICE presence. 
• University YMCA, Y of the North at the U of MN Campus, to provide public transportation for college mentors providing socioemotional and academic support in impacted classrooms.

We all know that our time will be one for the history books. Minneapolis, thank you for writing a history we can be proud of.

With deepest gratitude,

Mary Ellen Giess
Chief Program Officer
Interfaith America