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Groundwork Legal Sues ICE for Blocking Pastoral Care for Detained Minnesotans

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Faith leaders barred from the Whipple Federal Building join lawsuit to defend their rights under the First Amendment and Religious Freedom Restoration Act

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.) —Today, Groundwork Legal and Saul Ewing filed a lawsuit against the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security, for unlawfully barring faith leaders from providing pastoral care to Minnesotans detained at the Whipple Federal Building. The lawsuit asserts that ICE’s ongoing refusal to allow faith leaders to meet with Minnesotans detained at the Whipple Federal Building violates the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and requests that the court grant immediate relief so faith leaders can provide pastoral care to detainees.

Groundwork Legal and Saul Ewing are representing the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC), and Father Christopher Collins, SJ, a Jesuit priest.

Faith leaders have attempted to provide pastoral care to individuals detained at the Whipple Federal Building since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge.

The ELCA and UCC represent congregations and clergy across Minnesota whose faith compels them to minister to those who are detained, imprisoned, and torn from their families. The federal government has consistently denied faith leaders the ability to provide pastoral care to detainees, including just a few days ago on the Christian holy day of Ash Wednesday. 

“Constitutional rights do not disappear at the doors of the Whipple,” said Irina Vaynerman, CEO of Groundwork Legal. “The way we treat those in detention or facing deportation is one of the true litmus tests of our democracy. Pastoral care allows for detainees to be treated with humanity, instead of being treated like inventory.” 

“Denying faith leaders access to detainees is not only a violation of law, it is a denial of dignity to those whose rights are most at stake,” added Chelsea Walcker, Chief Legal Officer of Groundwork Legal, “We are committed to defending these rights and ensuring that pastoral care is available to all who need it.” 

“Pastoral care is the heart and soul of what our Pastors and Deacons are called to provide in their congregations and around the community. We walk together, listening, praying, guiding, and offering the peace and presence of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Jen Nagel of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA. “This is particularly important during times of stress, grief, isolation, and transition.”

The United States has a long history of allowing faith leaders to provide pastoral care inside of prisons, jails, and holding facilities. The right of clergy and faith leaders to provide this type of ministry is enshrined in the First Amendment and federal statutory law. In February, a federal judge ordered ICE to allow faith leaders in Illinois to give communion to detained immigrants on Ash Wednesday.

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Groundwork Legal is a Minnesota-based public interest law firm dedicated to advancing justice and democracy through impact litigation and innovative legal work. The firm was co-founded by Irina Vaynerman and Chelsea Walcker in January 2025 to protect civil rights, hold institutions accountable, and improve government systems.

Case materials are available here.

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Walaac ka dhasay maxkamadaha socdaalka Maraykanka oo dedejinaya kiisaska Soomaalida, qaarkoodna si qarsoodi ah loo qabanayo

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MINNEAPOLIS – Qareeno si gaar ah uga shaqeeya sharciyadda la xiriira socdaalka ayaa sheegay in maxkamadaha socdaalka dalka Mareykanka, gaar ahaan kuwa gobolka Minnesota ay si aan horey loo arag u dedejinayaan jadwalka dhageysiyada dacwaddaha la xiriira kiisaska socdaalka ee muwaadiniinta Soomaalida, taasoo dhalisay walaac ku saabsan in si gaar ah loo bartilmaameedsanayo Soomaalida.

Qareen Abdinasir Abdulahi, oo qareen u ah Soomaali badan, ahna qareenka iyo mulkiilaha xafiiska sharciyadda ee AMA Law Group oo ku yaala magaaladda Minneapolis ayaa yiri, “Waxaa muuqata in jirto qorshe lagu dadejinayo dacwadaha magan-gelyadda ee dadka Soomaalida ah”. Qareen Abdinasir ayaa sheegay in laga bilaabo bishii Febraayo uu bilowday olole lagu dadejinayo dacwadaha magan-gelyo doonka ah “asylum” ee Soomaalida.

“Soomaali aad u tiro baddan oo ay ku jiraan macaamiishayda Soomaalida ah ayaa loo balamiyay dhageysiyo cusub oo si degdeg ah loo qorsheeyay” ayuu Tusmo Time u sheegay qareen Abdinasir.

Idaacado baddan oo ku yaala gobolka Minnesota ayaa sheegay dadka Soomaalida ah loo soo hormariyay dhageysiyadooda, loona soo dhejiyay dhagaysiga maxkamadeed hal ama labo bilood gudahood, inkasta oo dalka oo dhan ay jiraan malaayiin kiis oo weli sugaya dhageysi.

Qareenka Abdinasir ayaa Tusmo Times u sheegay, “Waxaa dacwaddaha Soomaalida loo xilsaaray xaakimiin qaabilsan maxkamadha socdaalka oo gobolo kalle jooga in ay dhageystaan dacwadaha. Xaakimiintan ayaa lagu yaqaanaa in ay diidmadoodu aad u sareyso”.

Isaga oo muujinaya arrintan culeyska ay leedahay ayuu qareen Abdinasir wuxuu yiri, “Waa nasiib daro in dad qaxooti ah oo micin iyo magan-galyo halkan u soo raadsaday lagula dhaqmo qaab baal marsan sharciga iyo xuquul insaanka”. Wuxuuna arrintan ku tilmaamay mid jabinaysa dastuurka Mareykanka, maadaama dadkan si gaar ah loo bartilmaameedsado sababta oo ah jinsiyad iyo wadanka ay ka soo jeedaan, waxayna jabinaysaa qodobka ilaalinta sinaanta ee Dastuurka dalka Mareykanka.

Afhayeen ka tirsan hay’adda u xilsaaran maamulka maxkamadaha socdaalka ee DHS ayaa beeniyay in kiisaska qaarkood la dedejinayo, isagoo ku adkeeyay in dhammaan kiisaska lagu qaado si waafaqsan sharciga, islamarkaana waqtiga maxkamadeed ee codsiga magangelyada uu sharcigu u xaddido 180 maalmood.

Haddaba in dadka Soomaalida ah si cad loo beegsado ayaa timid kaddib markii uu Trump Soomaalida ku weeraray hadallo aflagaado ah, islamarkaana uu joojiyay barnaamijka ilaalinta ee Temporary Protected Status ee Soomaaliya, gobolka Minnesota-na uu u soo diray in ka baddan 3,000 oo sarkaal oo ah ciidanka socdaalka ee loo yaqaano ICE.

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Ramsey County offers temporary property tax relief to help people affected by Operation Metro Surge

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Saint Paul (Tuesday, March 10, 2026) – Ramsey County is offering temporary tax relief to help many residents impacted by the federal government’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign known as Operation Metro Surge. It’s one of many steps the county has taken since the operation began this winter.  

When county commissioners voted on Feb. 3 to condemn the tactics used by federal agents, they also directed County Manager Ling Becker to establish a structured and coordinated response to federal immigration enforcement. Since then, Becker has mobilized county staff to coordinate an array of initiatives to help people in the county impacted by the federal actions.  

“While Operation Metro Surge may be winding down, its impacts have not,” Becker said. “Our most vulnerable residents continue to feel the greatest impact. With direction from the county board, we’ve taken a range of actions to support residents and businesses during this difficult time, and we remain committed to doing what we can to help our community recover.” 

Temporary property tax relief  

Metro Surge contributed to financial hardships by disrupting work and decreasing local business revenue. To address this strain, the county is implementing a temporary two-month property tax payment extension for first half 2026 property tax payments. Eligible property owners can pay their property taxes up to two months past the typical deadline without facing late payment penalties.  

More information is available on the county’s property tax resources webpage.  

Addressing health concerns 

Along with disrupting families, fears of federal agents have heighted anxiety in communities. Parents have withdrawn children from schools and have decreased public activities. The isolation has put people at an increased risk of depression, which is compounded when the affected people are less likely to leave home to seek care.  

Ramsey County already has mental health and crisis service that’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the county is allocating $75,000 to the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative. This one-time funding will help strengthen access to mental health and basic needs supports during a time of increased referrals, prolonged service waitlists and heightened community stress.  

Other actions 

  • The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, working with local law enforcement, posted online guidance for residents who are witnesses to or victims of criminal conduct by federal law enforcement agents.  
  • Clear protocols are in place for county employees who may need to interact with immigration enforcement agents at county owned or leased sites. Also, a new training was created to help employees understand how to navigate an encounter with immigration enforcement officials while working in the field 
  • Connect to Services webpage that can be translated into multiple languages is now online to help residents connect with services and resources, such as food and emergency assistance programs. Printed information, also in multiple languages, was distributed through county programs, local food shelves, the city of Saint Paul (libraries and parks), and Saint Paul Public Schools. 
  • Signage has been posted at parks and county facilities clarifying that staging or operations are not permitted without authorization. “Employee only” signage designates non-public areas that cannot be accessed without a valid judicial warrant. 
  • The county expanded support to employees through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), hosted sessions on stress management and psychological safety and launched a new EAP mobile app. Additional expanded supports are in the works. 

Watch the presentation to commissioners at March 10 board meeting.  

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From Minneapolis to Selma: Somali American Minnesotans Honor the Legacy of Bloody Sunday

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More than six decades after one of the most defining moments of the American civil rights movement, Somali American Minnesotans joined thousands of others in Selma to commemorate the anniversary of Bloody Sunday on the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge.

For many in the Somali community who traveled more than a thousand miles from Minneapolis, the journey was more than a trip, it was a powerful act of solidarity and remembrance. Somali leaders, community members, youth, and families gathered to walk the same bridge where civil rights activists were brutally attacked in 1965 while demanding the right to vote.

The trip left a deep impression on participants

“This was one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had,” said Hodan Hassan, a former Minnesota state representative and community leader. “Standing on that bridge reminds us of the courage it took to demand justice—and why that fight must continue.”

This year’s commemoration of Selma came after months of immigration enforcement operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting Minnesotans, including members of the Somali American community. Against that backdrop, the presence of Somali American leaders and community members at the event underscored the enduring connection between past and present struggles for civil rights. Even 61 years later, participants reflected on how many of the same issues remain unresolved — the right to vote, the right to belong, and the right to live with dignity.

Hassan also expressed gratitude to the organizations that helped make the journey possible, including Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Somali American Coalition, COPAL, Ayada Leads, and the Immigrant Defense Network, along with many other groups that worked together to bring communities together in solidarity and purpose.

The long bus ride from Minnesota to Alabama—stretching across more than a thousand miles—was not easy. Yet traveling together strengthened the sense of community among those making the journey.

“Traveling by bus with the community makes the journey meaningful and memorable,” Hassan noted. “Even if the ride itself can be a bit brutal.”

Still, participants said every mile was worth it

The commemoration served as a reminder that the legacy of Selma is not only history—it is a living call to action. As communities across the country continue to advocate for justice and equality, the spirit of those who marched in 1965 remains a guiding force.

And for the Somali American Minnesotans who made the journey south, the message was clear: the struggle continues, but no one stands alone. Moving forward together—across generations, communities, and thousands of miles—remains the most powerful way to honor Selma’s legacy.

Photos credit: Hodan Hassan

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