Extreme Cold and ICE Detentions Put Unsheltered Native People at Risk in Minneapolis
As dangerously cold temperatures grip Minnesota, Indigenous-led organizations in Minneapolis have opened a culturally grounded warming shelter to protect unsheltered Native people following recent ICE detentions and a death from exposure.
As extreme cold and federal immigration enforcement converge, Indigenous-led organizations step in to protect unsheltered Native relatives in South Minneapolis.
As dangerously cold temperatures grip Minnesota, unsheltered community members face escalating risk across the Twin Cities. For Native people living without stable housing, that danger is compounded by recent federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis.
This week, four members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. One person has died from exposure. The cold is severe, and the stakes are life and death.
In the Phillips neighborhood, at the heart of one of the largest Urban Indian communities in the country, Indigenous-led organizations are responding where systems have fallen short.
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center and Nenookaasi Ozhige have opened a culturally grounded, low-barrier warming shelter to provide safety, warmth, and protection for unsheltered Native relatives.
A Community Response Rooted in Survival
The warming center offers immediate refuge from extreme cold, including heat, food, and a safe place to rest. But its role extends beyond basic shelter.
Staff are assisting guests in obtaining tribal identification and replacement documents, a critical need for individuals who have lost belongings during encampment clearances or displacement. For Native people navigating heightened enforcement activity, access to proper identification can determine whether someone is able to remain free or faces detention.
For many guests, this paperwork is not administrative. It is protective.
Gaps in the Formal Shelter System
Organizers say the formal shelter system does not have the capacity to meet the current need, particularly for unsheltered Native people seeking culturally safe spaces. In response, the community has mobilized its own resources.
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is currently crowdfunding $45,000 to keep the warming center open and operational. The organization is also seeking additional support from philanthropic partners.
The effort reflects a familiar reality for Indigenous communities. When institutional systems cannot respond quickly or fully, communities organize to protect their own.
Sovereignty, Safety, and Collective Care
This moment is not only about weather. It is about sovereignty, survival, and community responsibility.
The warming center represents a form of mutual aid grounded in cultural knowledge and lived experience. It is a space where safety is not conditional and dignity is not negotiable.
As enforcement activity continues and winter conditions remain dangerous, the work unfolding in the Phillips neighborhood underscores a broader truth. For many Native people in Minneapolis, survival depends on community-led action.
How to Support
Community members who are able to contribute can support the warming center through a public fundraising effort. Donations help sustain daily operations and ensure the space remains open during this critical period.
Support the warming center here:
https://givebutter.com/KBNd5w