Latest news with #RyanPerez
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ICE raids St. Louis Park business, arrests 8, immigration advocates say
The Brief ICE raided Hardcoat Inc. in St. Louis Park on Feb. 26, immigration advocates said. Agents arrested eight employees but released one, they said. The company audited employees to verify their eligibility to work in the United States weeks before the raid, advocates said. ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - ICE agents raided an aluminum finishing company in St. Louis Park on Feb. 26, arresting eight employees, immigration advocates said. The backstory ICE agents stormed into an aluminum finishing company in St. Louis Park on Feb. 26, arresting eight employees, immigration advocates said. The agents eventually released one of them, though it's unclear why, they said. What they're saying "ICE went not all at once in grabbing everybody there but went one at a time and grabbed one person at a time," said Ryan Perez, who organized a protest Wednesday where he read a prepared statement from an eyewitness to the raid. "She reported that eight people were actually arrested even though seven people were detained." What happened before the raid Less than three weeks before the raid, Hardcoat Inc. audited employees' eligibility to work in the United States, according to a letter obtained by COPAL MN, an immigration advocacy group. The letter, which was reviewed by FOX 9, said that "in an effort to stay in compliance with the U.S. citizenship and immigration requirements, Hardcoat Inc. will be conducting an I-9 audit." An I-9 form verifies an employee's eligibility to work in the United States. The letter also said that "every employee will be asked to produce the appropriate documents in the next few days." It is unclear whether the raid is connected to what the letter described as an "internal audit." Hardcoat Inc. did not respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Valentine's for immigrants: Know your rights during raids
The Brief Valentine's Day cards went out to Minnesota immigrants on Friday explaining their rights if they interact with ICE. Protests also spread across the state, starting in Rochester where at least one business closed its doors after ICE apparently arrested employees. Immigration enforcement officials have said they're targeting the most dangerous undocumented immigrants for arrest, but some of those arrested have no criminal record. (FOX 9) - Some Minnesota farmers and business owners are sending Valentine's Day cards showing more than just love to members of the immigrant community. Showing love They're giving instructions on how to handle interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Protests spread across the state on Friday, beginning at a Rochester restaurant that closed on Thursday after ICE arrested two employees showing up for say the arrests directly hurt the men and Nupa Mediterranean Grill, but the aftershocks will hurt families and businesses statewide. "This is not replacing American workers," said Ryan Perez of the immigration support group COPAL. "These are businesses that are going to go down under. These are places that immigrants in the community are now free to shop at, afraid, too afraid to engage in the economy in Rochester because they're afraid of leaving their houses." Cost-cutting The Trump administration promised to crack down on illegal immigration and ICE agents are believed to have made several arrests in the Rochester area this week. Advocates say Republicans in Minnesota are also targeting immigrants, including with bills that would prevent them from getting free college through the North Star Promise. "We already know that over $86,000 of taxpayer dollars have gone to fund people who are here illegally," said Rep. Isaac Schultz (R-Elmdale Township). That program requires undocumented students to be on a path to legal immigration status after at least three years of high school in Minnesota. Farmers are fans Meanwhile, their parents are a driving force in revitalizing rural communities and economies, according to some farming groups. "They have been the backbone of our Minnesota food and farming system for many decades," said Beth Slocum of the Land Stewardship Project. The Immigrant Defense Network is monitoring ICE activity in Minnesota and expecting more soon. They delivered a list of rights for immigrants inside more than 14,000 Valentine's Day cards. "We are shifting the narrative, replacing fear with hope, division with unity, and hate with love," said Montha Chum, founder of MN8. Immigration enforcement officials have said they're targeting the most dangerous undocumented immigrants for arrest. But they're now facing a series of lawsuits accusing the administration of overstepping.
CBS News
15-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
New group aiming to help immigrant families in Minnesota
Several Minnesota organizations are working together to help immigrant families in Minnesota through a new initiative called the Immigrant Defense Network. Members at a news conference Friday at the State Capitol said their main goal is to educate thousands of Minnesotans about policy efforts aimed at protecting immigrants across the state. The group says the recent shifts in national policy are creating an environment of fear. "We will not let fear divide us, instead, we are strengthening our network to safeguard, inform, and uplift one another and the communities we serve and represent," said Ryan Perez, organizing director for Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, who is a member of the new group. The conference was followed by a "Love Your Immigrant Neighbor" Day of Action, which involved thousands of Valentine's Day cards being delivered in the Twin Cities, Mankato, Austin, Monticello and Rochester. The cards, according to the group, had words of encouragement and information about immigrant rights.
