Minneapolis politics, slightly ground down

A Minneapolis politics podcast hosted by four-term Ward 2 city council veterans Cam Gordon and Robin Garwood, with longtime activist Jesse Mortenson

ICE Impact in Numbers: Who is Gonna Help?

March 2, 2026

The broad impact of the ICE invasion is coming into view as the city, state and researchers attempt to measure it. We talk numbers for arrests, wages, businesses, mental health and more. How are we going to get the help to survive and recover this enormous hit to our social fabric? Increasingly it looks like the weight is on regular people, as demands for an eviction moratorium and meaningful economic aid are being resisted by city conservatives and state GOP, respectively. Who is helping? is the mayor helping himself? and who is just plain against us?

Recorded 2/25/26.

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Numbers

Eviction moratorium

Financial aid

City-level

  • Saint Paul Mayor response
  • Minneapolis City Council has allocated $1 million for rental assistance
    • “There is no free money right now. Every dollar that is spent has an impact,” Mayor Frey said. “There’s no magic pot that we can tap that does not affect property taxes or essential city services.”
  • City: $7m Small business aid
  • City: $1m renter aid
    • Council members voted 9-4 to pass the rent assistance plan.
      • Voting in favor with Payne, Wonsley and Chughtai were Council Vice President Jamal Osman and Council Members Aurin Chowdhury, Soren Stevenson, Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw and Jason Chavez.
      • Besides Palmisano, Council Members Pearll Warren, Elizabeth Shaffer and Jamison Whiting voted against it
  • ONE Minneapolis Fund $2.5m (Mpls Foundation)
    • support organizations meeting immediate basic needs such as food and housing for individuals and families impacted by the ICE surge
    • The OneMPLS Fund is intended to complement, not replace, direct donations to local organizations.
  • Economic Response Fund (not just mpls) (Mpls foundation)
    • Eligible businesses may receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on demonstrated need and available funding. These funds are grants, not loans, and do not need to be repaid.
    • grants are designed to support small businesses that have experienced reduced customers or revenue, workforce disruptions, temporary closures, or concerns with safety and security.
    • maximum of 40 employees and a gross annual revenue of $3 million or less
  • Stand with Minnesota / GoFundMes etc $20m

State-level

Frey media appearances

We pulled audio clips from a couple national-media appearances by Our Mayor

Details from that City report

MPLS: cost the city $203 million in January alone, according to the city of Minneapolis

  • recommendations
    1. End Operation Metro Surge; this action is required to begin any recovery activities.
    2. Increase non-governmental funding for organizations providing direct assistance, such as rental assistance, to most-affected populations.
    3. Secure state and federal funding for immediate needs and long-term recovery.
    4. Better connect organizations to rapid funding from foundations and other funding sources.
    5. Strengthen last-mile distribution systems for food and essential supplies to reach households unable to access centralized points.
    6. Support partner organizations with technical, operational, and logistical capacity building to absorb increased demand for food, shelter, economic support, and mental health services.
    7. Expand mental health and psychosocial support delivery models, including trusted network engagement and pop-up support sessions that respond to community needs, especially in areas of the city most harmed by the effects of Operation Metro Surge.
    8. Prioritize staff wellbeing and operational resilience, including leadership support and workload management, to maintain continuity of service delivery
  • impact breakdown
    • Livelihoods $171,100,000
      • more than $100 million of financial loss to workers and businesses
      • Lost wages for people afraid to leave home are estimated at $47 million per month.
      • Restaurant and small business revenue losses were as high as $81 million in January.
      • Hotel cancellations extending through the summer have resulted in $4.7 million in lost revenue so far.
        • Nineteen major hotels have reported upwards of $4.7 million in revenue losses to Meet Minneapolis stemming from more than 13,500 room night cancellations to date
      • Minneapolis has experienced the lowest January construction valuation in 10 years, $37.9 million gap to next highest year.
        • The number of building permits issued during January of 2026 was 178. The next lowest number of permits issued for the month of January occurred in 2023 with 445 building permits issued.
        • When it comes to construction value, January 2026 comes in at $14,592,024. The next lowest recorded construction value for the month of January occurred in 2024 with a total value of $52,456,186.
    • Shelter $15,700,000
      • 35,000 low-income renter households in Minneapolis could not afford their rent before Operation Metro Surge
      • Lost household income since December 2025 has created an additional $15.7 million monthly rent assistance need
      • HOME Line, a statewide tenant rights organization that hosts a free legal advice hotline for renters, has documented a 63% increase in renters calling for help accessing financial assistance from this time last year
        • Approximately 85% of the renters calling for financial aid identify as BIPOC
      • Stable Homes Stable Schools reports a 47% increase in identified families in need of housing assistance compared to last year at this tim
      • Any uptick in eviction filings due to Operation Metro Surge is unlikely to be observable in eviction filing data until late February 2026
        • (Mpls passed 30 day eviction notice window effective 2025)
    • Food $9,750,000
      • Requests for food assistance from Minneapolis residents to one prominent area call center have increased by more than 127%
      • A total of approximately 136,200 people across the city may be experiencing food insecurity, representing approximately a third of the city’s 2024 population.
    • Mental Health $522,780 – $2,396,075
      • Mental health service providers report a 50% reduction in client contact as populations have gone “underground.”
      • Mental health services for LatinX communities report more than 400 requests per week.
      • 8,713 new school-age children are estimated to be in need of services due to the Surge.
      • Therapist availability is currently insufficient for the level of mental health support that is needed as a product of Operation Metro Surge. Current capacity is insufficient relative to the magnitude of need.
    • City of Minneapolis Operations $6,037,603
      • City Staff Payroll (Excluding Police) $660,195
      • Police Overtime and Standby Pay $5,288,729
        • The entire 2026 General Fund City budget for Police overtime is $2.3 million.
        • DOESN'T SAY WHAT POLICE DID FOR $5m
          • The Minneapolis Police Department has incurred an estimated $5.3 million in overtime and standby pay expenses from January 7 to February 1
      • Operational and Equipment Expenses $88,679
      • If this level of spending is maintained, it would bring the total cost to the City to $11.9 million by March 1.
    • OTHER
      • Legal services for immigrants. Current provision of legal services is at or beyond capacity, and availability of free or low-cost legal services is not sufficient for current demand
      • Healthcare providers report drops in attendance rates at clinics in the 25-50% range

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