One of the organizations receiving a Judy Takkunen Grant from Plymouth to support immigrant communities is MIRAC (MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee). Last year, we awarded MIRAC $3,000. To better understand the impact of this funding, I participated in a MIRAC East Lake Street neighborhood walk on Thursday, June 19, alongside approximately 20 volunteers.

The East Lake Street neighborhood in Minneapolis is an area with a predominantly Hispanic community and a rich history in the city. Together, we aimed to support and protect our neighbors from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

We gathered at the corner of Portland and Lake and received a 20-minute training session in both English and Spanish, covering what to say and what not to say, common questions we might face, and effective ways to respond. Our diverse group comprised individuals from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as those of different faiths, beliefs, gender identities, and ages, ranging from teenagers to seniors. This event highlighted our community’s strength, diversity, and shared commitment to justice and support for all our neighbors.

• One volunteer, who identifies as transgender, is 22 years old, speaks seven languages, and is working towards their third advanced degree.
• Another volunteer, who had to leave high school in her senior year to support her aging mother after her father’s passing, has since lost her mother. She plans to earn her GED but has prioritized community needs and her personal commitments because they are urgent and meaningful to her.
• A teacher brought along eight high school students who participated enthusiastically—they enjoyed the experience and proved to be quite capable.

We were all supplied red cards (English and Spanish), and a more detailed handout (also bilingual) on what to say and do if ICE stops you in various places (home, work, court, car), how to identify ICE, and what your rights are.  We had more than enough red cards.  We ran out of the more detailed handout (written, printed, and copied by MIRAC volunteers).

We broke into smaller groups (3-4).  Our goal was to cover both sides of Lake Street, from Portland to Nicollet, and visit every business, talking to everyone we met on the street.  After two hours, it was over, and the groups met back at Portland and Lake and debriefed.  All groups reported being received mostly enthusiastically, though some people seemed fearful, and a few (mostly white-owned businesses) seemed quite disinterested.

My group of four was focused on the group of immigrants who gather near the 35W bridge underpass and around the area of Lake Street near the old K-Mart.  This area has long been a hub for this population to find employment and access resources. As needs become unmet and more dire, resources and supports are cut, and the actions against these communities by ICE and law enforcement are escalating, it has become remarkable to see the day-to-day activity in this area as this community tries to survive and stay safe.

About two dozen men and a dozen women, primarily of Salvadoran descent, try to flag down cars to get people to hire them for day work.  The men all have power drills, which they wave at passing motorists.  The women wave large sponges or dustcloths.  When a car stops, the men and women approach, desperate and hoping to get work.

We were there for two hours.  Our conversations varied in length, but most lasted around ten minutes.  One car stopped and picked up three workers.  Two cars stopped to drop people off (not day workers) and were mobbed, until the workers realized there was no work to be had.  Almost all the workers we spoke with had various court hearing issues they were dealing with.

One of our group members was knowledgeable about resolving court issues, so when those problems arose in our conversations, we’d call her over to ensure we were providing the best information possible.  None of them had lawyers.  None of them spoke English.  One was a nursing mother.  Our group facilitated communication using Google Translate, which proved effective and resulted in numerous gestures, pointing, and smiles.

We learned that even if they were picked up for work, instead of getting a job for a whole day, which they had hoped for and needed, it was common to get work for only 2-3 hours, after which it was often up to them to figure out how to get back home.  Sometimes they would not get paid. This is an example of the vulnerability and exploitation these men and women are subjected to in order to make a living and support themselves and their families.

I try, and fail, to imagine the bravery required of these people to face each new day.  In winter and on rainy days, there are significantly fewer opportunities for day laborers available.  There are no known cases of ICE arresting any of them under the bridge, yet. But this introduces yet another level of vulnerability and threat for this community.

A woman named Paola conceived the idea of organizing them, setting up a website, advertising their services, and providing a phone number where homeowners could contact them to request work.  Paola has been attending MIRAC meetings for the past few months to explore more ways to get their word out and drum up more business.  These are hard-working people, desperate and therefore enterprising.  I explored the possibility of announcing this program at Plymouth.  I learned that if you hire an undocumented person, you run the risk (slight, but these days, real) of ICE arresting and fining you.  If you claim to have heard about this service from a friend who was satisfied with their work, and you had no reason to inquire about their nationality or legal status, there is a good chance that it would hold up in court, if your case even went to court.

MIRAC has now incorporated several of these workers into their regular meetings.  MIRAC volunteers pick them up (at Portland and Lake, of course), at the end of their work (or non-work) day, and give them a ride to the meeting.  They are provided with a meal (usually pizza or a burrito).  For some, this is the only meal they get that day.  The workers ask if they can take an extra bottle of water at the end of the meeting.  Most of the jobs they get hired for do not supply water.

MIRAC, a completely volunteer-run organization, is a shining example of people who care for one another and the least among us, our neighbors. Some of Plymouth’s grant money this past year was allocated to purchasing food and water, red cards, copying costs, website setup assistance, and acquiring an answering machine.

 

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

 

I believe they are well worth our small investment, and I wish it could be more. – John Humphrey