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Bay Area Leaders Travel to Minnesota to Stand in Solidarity With Communities Impacted by ICE Enforcement
- De Alba Communications
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
Half Moon Bay, CA — February 6, 2026 — A Bay Area–based delegation led by Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS), in partnership with Bay Area Border Relief, Latino Community Foundation, and faculty from the University of San Francisco, has returned from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they stood in solidarity with Twin Cities communities responding to the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crisis.
The delegation included social workers, psychologists, educators, artists, philanthropic leaders, and community advocates who traveled to Minnesota to listen, learn, and support local organizations, schools, educators, elected officials, neighbors, and frontline responders working tirelessly to defend immigrant families.
As an expression of accompaniment and care, the delegation delivered “Love to Minnesota” care packages to students, educators, and families directly impacted by recent ICE enforcement activity at three schools: two elementary schools and one high school. They also purchased and distributed food for families in hiding and are developing virtual support for accompaniment of care. The delegation is also helping to mobilize mental health support and raise urgent funding for basic needs. Throughout the visit, members met with the community to bear witness to the impacts and injustices of ICE actions and to let Minneapolis know they are not alone.
“We are in solidarity, our hearts and prayers are with Minneapolis,” said Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, Founder and CEO of ALAS. “This is a call to action in the wake of escalating family separations linked to federal immigration enforcement operations and the recent deaths of protestors Renee Good and Alex Pretti, whose killings by federal agents in Minneapolis have sparked nationwide protests against ICE and related enforcement actions and demands for accountability. The devastating fear and forced family separations happening across Minneapolis have become an American crisis. We witnessed a community paralyzed in fear, stress, and anxiety, yet courageous in the face of a moral decay in our country. Our political leaders must recognize the human cost of these policies and act with urgency to protect our communities.”
Dr. Hernandez Arriaga added, “Our team offered words of comfort and brought the cultura cura – the healing power that ALAS is founded on. Economic and food resources were also provided to families. We want the people of Minnesota to know: you are not alone. We are deeply moved by your strength, resilience, and bravery.”
“What struck us most was what so many community members described and live every day: women, especially mothers, are leading the resistance,” said Luis Enrique Bazán of ALAS, a member of the solidarity delegation and a graduate of the University of San Francisco. “Their leadership is not only inspiring; it is essential. People are overwhelmed, but they are also supporting one another and organizing in deeply creative, compassionate ways.”
Across Twin Cities neighborhoods, the delegation witnessed communities coordinating food distribution, organizing legal support and know-your-rights trainings, creating community watch and support networks, opening their doors for rest and warming spaces during brutal winter conditions, and sharing resources, music, and spirit.
The delegation also visited the vigil sites for Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the memorial for George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in 2020, to honor lives lost and reaffirm their commitment to accountability, dignity, and community care. At the Pretti vigil site, delegation members joined community members in song, lifting up traditions of radical peace and collective care in the face of trauma and ongoing struggle.
ALAS, Bay Area Border Relief, Latino Community Foundation, and faculty from the University of San Francisco are longtime partners who reaffirm their commitment to immigrant rights, community defense, and peace-building.
“We are honored to build trust and stand alongside such courageous community leaders,” said Lilli Rey, co-founder of Bay Area Border Relief and Board President of ALAS. “There is much more work ahead. Being on the front lines and hearing stories firsthand on the ground is essential, and that is where the responsibility begins. We remain committed to centering care, dignity, and shared struggle in all that we do — from the Bay Area to the Twin Cities and beyond.”
