Love Letter from Minnesota

Dear World,

You have reminded us of the power of true love.

When we began this journey, we knew how important it was to work across communities in solidarity and from a place of deep love for one another. What we did not expect was the outpouring of love we would receive from you: love notes of encouragement, donations to support our neighbors, and beautiful acts of peaceful resistance.

There is no shortage of grief, worry, or sadness in Minnesota. And yet, the love we have felt from each other, from across our country, and from around the world has been overwhelming.

Last year, a group of Latine leaders began organizing the MN Latine Fund to address the inequities our communities have long faced and to build sustainable infrastructure across the state in times of emergency and disaster. As we planned for the long term, it became clear that we also needed to respond to the escalating violence against our communities from ICE.

In November 2025, we made the decision to launch the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund.

As conversations about the IRRF began, we witnessed attacks on our Somali communities. We quickly realized we needed to widen the circle of support to include our East African neighbors. After just two meetings, it became even clearer that the attacks were not solely about immigration.

They were about profiling people of color.

So we widened the circle again to include Asian and Native communities.

We came to the table with a shared mindset: to help one another, to trust in our collective power, to move with faith and a spirit of abundance.

Nothing could have prepared us for what came next.

On January 7th, Renee Good was murdered. At that moment, we knew we could not wait. We launched the Fund on January 12th with a goal of raising $5 million to support communities across Minnesota.

By the second week, we had raised enough to deploy ten $15,000 grants. As ICE escalated violent tactics, families grew increasingly afraid to leave their homes and children stopped attending schools. Meanwhile, community organizers mobilized as constitutional observers, neighbors organized mutual aid, small businesses posted ICE OUT signs to keep their workers and clients safe, healthcare providers started shifting to home care and online care, and teachers worked tirelessly to support students in their academics and basic needs.

We continued sharing the Fund through philanthropic partners, friends, family, and platforms like Stand With Minnesota. Support poured in.

By week three, we had raised $3 million and deployed 21 grants.

Now, in week four, we have raised nearly $8 million from 53,000 people across the United States and 53 countries around the world. We have deployed over $3 million to nonprofits providing rent support, food, transportation, legal services, and constitutional observer training.

Each week, we continue honoring the rapid in Rapid Response while acting strategically and responsibly.

This has been a true labor of love. Every leader at the table is doing this work beyond their regular responsibilities to meet this moment. And the truth is: we could not meet it without you.

You—the people of Texas, Colorado, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma.

You—the people of Ireland, Mexico, Chile, Germany, and beyond.

Your donations. Your notes of encouragement and support. You have brought tears to our eyes more times than we can count.

Your love has carried us.

And as you witness our efforts to peacefully resist, to protect our democracy and human rights, and to care for our neighbors, we hope you feel our love, too.

As someone who came to Minnesota from the Dominican Republic, I have never felt more embraced by my neighbors or more supported by the world than I do today. Even in the face of attacks meant to dehumanize us, I feel deeply held.

I have always loved you and your capacity to lean into the idea that caring for each other goes further than hate and violence.

And today, I love you even more. Thank you for standing with us. Another world is possible.

With love from Minnesota,
Ambar Cristina Hanson, Executive Director, Mortenson Family Foundation
On behalf of the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund Coalition