Hola, my name is Emily Ayala. For 26 years, these streets in Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights have been more than just a place to live they have been my home, my family, and my heart. I’ve spent over two decades helping my neighbors find work, watching their children grow, and celebrating the dreams we built together. 

But today, those dreams are being replaced by a living nightmare. For the last 45 days, our community has been paralyzed by a relentless surge of ICE activity known as "Operation Metro Surge." The recent tragic loss of our neighbor, Renee Macklin Good, has left us in a state of profound grief and fear. 

Across Minnesota, ICE continues to stop, harass, and detain people regardless of their citizenship status. Normal life has been interrupted; schools have been forced to close or go virtual, and people live in fear of leaving their homes or going to work. Families are hiding in the shadows of their own homes, too terrified to even turn on the lights or walk to the corner for diapers. 

I know this terror personally. Even as a U.S. citizen, I was stopped and racially profiled by federal agents right here in my own neighborhood. That moment shattered me. If that is what I felt, I can only imagine the bone-deep agony our undocumented friends are enduring. 

Minnesotans are organized and activated to respond to this violence, but they need our help. Right now, the volume of need is more than most of us see day-to-day. If you have anything to spare, I invite you to donate. In this moment, money turns into survival. Your support provides food and essential supplies to those living in this fear, ensuring that no one is forgotten in their darkest hour.

Hoy por ti, mañana por mi. (Today for you, tomorrow for me.)

Please help me show our families that they are not alone. They are loved. They belong ❤️❤️

** Because the need in our community continues to grow, we will be increasing our fundraising goal as necessary to meet the rising demand**

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9