In their first week back in session at the Minnesota Legislature, Democrats are trying to push through bills that would help renters impacted by Operation Metro Surge.
Lawmakers said that as a result of the federal immigration operation, residents are struggling to make ends meet. Many immigrants are sheltering in place at home, fearing that if they leave to go to work they might be detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Unable to pay rent, they are at risk for being evicted from their homes.
While the Trump administration has said that the operation in Minnesota is ending, lawmakers and community members said that the economic and societal impact will last for some time.
“We will be here picking up the pieces of destruction,” said Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) who introduced a bill in the House. “Nobody should lose their home because they’re being terrorized by their own federal government.”
Cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul have called on Gov. Tim Walz to declare a peacetime emergency and enact an eviction moratorium, which he did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members also are turning to state lawmakers.
Without more assistance to help impacted renters, Stephannie Lewis, associate vice president of advocacy and community impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way, told Legislators on Wednesday, “We will see … more adults living with the impossible choice of paying rent or covering basic needs like food and medicine.”
On Thursday, one bill passed the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee, which would allocate $75 million in emergency rental assistance to counties and Tribal Nations across the state.
Democrats hold a slim majority in the Senate, but the bill was not only backed by Democrats. Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, one of few Republicans in Minnesota who has spoken out against Operation Metro Surge, supported the bill.
The bill will be referred to the Senate Tax Committee. Several other bills are in the process of being introduced by Democratic senators.
Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, who authored the bill, said that the funding is only a short-term solution.
“At this moment we are on the cliff’s edge of a terrible eviction crisis,” Port said. “This is not a bill that will fix the system. This is not a bill that will keep our communities stable for years. This is an emergency fix likely for the next three months.”
Republican Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, proposed an amendment that would require the assistance only help residents who have legal immigration status. That amendment failed to pass, with several Democrats arguing that legal protections like Temporary Protected Status have been unexpectedly rolled back for many immigrants.
Bills that were introduced in the Minnesota House this week struggled to gain traction. Control in the House is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
Republicans in the Housing Finance and Policy Committee voted down two bills on Wednesday, with the bills tying at a 7-7 vote along party lines. A third bill is still pending a vote.
One bill would have allocated $50 million in emergency rental assistance funding. Another would have broadened which nonprofits can give rental assistance to those facing eviction.
Republicans in the House committee cautioned against allocating funds before more state fiscal forecasts are available, and questioned using the term “emergency” to describe the situation.
“I don’t think that they have had an inability to go to work,” Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia) said, rejecting arguments by lawmakers that residents were staying at home over fears of encountering ICE agents.
Rep. Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield), who co-chairs the House committee, told Sahan Journal that he hopes the bills in the Senate can gain more ground and pass both houses.
“[I’m] incredibly disappointed that Republicans are continuing to basically bury their heads in the sand about the crisis that’s facing our communities, and in particular communities of color,” Howard said.
While some cities and community groups have allocated money and raised additional funds, they testified at the committee hearings that they can’t address the issue on their own.
“The need is relentless,” said Anna Stamborski from the group Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a mutual aid network. “We are grateful to do this work, but truthfully and humbly, this is not our job.”
Minneapolis allocated $1 million in emergency rental assistance earlier this month. Minneapolis City Council Member Aurin Chowdhury testified at the House committee meeting on Wednesday that the sum only addresses a fraction of the assistance needed. A recent city report identified $15 million is needed in rental assistance in the city, only for the month of January.
“The scale of the need that we’re seeing in the city of Minneapolis far outweighs what we can absorb as a single city,” she said.
