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In response to the increase in immigration raids in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, neighbors and community organizations in the United States are providing temporary shelter for immigrant children to prevent them from being placed under state custody following the detention of their parents.
When federal immigration agents knocked on the door of their home in Minneapolis, the eldest son of an Ecuadorian family understood that he needed to get his younger siblings out immediately.
Her mother, a 41-year-old indigenous office cleaner, had been detained in early January for entering the United States irregularly, despite having no criminal record beyond minor traffic violations, reported the news agency AP.
The fear that the older children might also be arrested led the family to contact Feliza Martínez, a church friend, who activated a network of volunteers to discreetly move them to a safe house in the southern part of the city.
There, neighbors organized bunk beds, food, baby supplies, and activities for the children, while the older ones remained distressed about their immediate future.
Martínez is part of a growing group of residents from the so-called Twin Cities who, through word of mouth, are assisting immigrant families in hiding or finding temporary housing.
Many claim to be motivated by indignation over what they describe as aggressive tactics employed by federal agents, including nighttime operations, raids without search warrants, and confrontations with protesters.
According to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), over 2,000 federal agents have been deployed in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area since December, with more than 3,000 arrests reported.
In response, residents have organized vigils, protests, and less visible support networks: they pay rent, deliver food, establish emergency custody arrangements, and expand food banks for families who are afraid to even leave their homes to work.
"I receive calls every day from terrified families," said Martínez, a mother of five and a volunteer for the Christian organization Source MN, which has increased its support to hundreds of immigrant households.
He assures that he has taken time off from his job to directly help at-risk children and parents.
The case of the Wampash Tuntuam family reflects that constant fear. The children reported that after providing their address to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the belief that a social worker would be sent, armed agents with their faces covered surrounded the house on two occasions.
"There we realized they weren't coming to help us, but to detain us," recounted one of the daughters, who, like other family members, is facing a final deportation order.
The tension has been exacerbated by a series of shootings linked to federal operations. The most recent occurred this Saturday in Minneapolis, when DHS agents killed a man during an immigration enforcement action, according to the official account, following a struggle in which the individual was allegedly carrying a weapon.
The incident sparked protests and the use of tear gas to disperse demonstrators. This is the third shooting involving federal agents in the city in just a few weeks.
Following the prior death of Renee Good on January 7, the Trump administration ordered approximately 1,500 active soldiers to remain on standby for a possible deployment in Minnesota, a measure described as "repugnant" by Governor Tim Walz and "ridiculous and unconstitutional" by the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey.
In the midst of this scenario, Martínez acknowledged a personal shift. A voter for Donald Trump in previous elections, she stated that her direct experience with children separated from their parents made her reconsider her support.
"I wish I had never voted for him," he said. "What is happening is not Christian."
DHS maintains that ICE does not separate families and that parents can decide whether their children accompany them or are left in the care of others.
However, lawyers, educators, and local authorities contradict that version and report the detainment of children, even in school settings, which has deepened the fear in immigrant communities.
While the raids continue under the so-called Metro Surge Operation, Minneapolis is experiencing days of protests and an increasingly visible rift between the federal discourse on security and the reality of families who are hiding to prevent their children from being left alone.
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