Dear community,

 

To say the last week has challenged us all would be a massive understatement.

 

Our community and our state have landed in the crosshairs of federal immigration enforcement, and we have all felt the impact. Here at the Council, we have been contacted about unspeakable tragedies: mothers separated from newborn babies. Family members disappearing off the streets. Federal agents going door to door, asking residents to identify which homes are occupied by immigrants. And as we have seen, no one is excluded from this sudden scrutiny.

 

We are currently collecting and developing resources for our immigrant and advocate communities, and will share these with you in the coming days. In the meantime, the solace we share during this trying time is that we are all surviving together, as one community—as one Minnesota. Many of our ancestors survived times of terror. And though they may not have escaped unscathed, they survived thanks to the instincts, networks, and community available to them.

 

We are in constant contact with elected officials, delivering uncensored accounts of what our community is experiencing. If there is something you would like us to know, please do not hesitate to reach out. If you are hosting an event in the next few months, please consider letting us know so that we can assist you as necessary or needed. 

 

With respect,

 

Sia Her

Executive Director, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans