We continue to mourn with our community: both the unspeakable tragedy of the killing of George Floyd and the destruction that has touched so many of us. ILCM director Veena Iyer wrote in a letter to staff: 

“I found myself repeatedly coming back to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the past week and as I drafted this email. As Dr. King stated, America has ‘failed to hear the plight’ of our Black and brown communities. ‘It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay.’ Dr. King’s analysis of riots has become ubiquitous in the last few days because it is so frustratingly and unconscionably true 50 years later….

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless killing of George Floyd and also by the destruction that has happened across the Twin Cities. The loss of buildings and businesses is difficult, but even more so the loss of what the buildings represent. Lake Street and University Avenue are the lifelines of so many communities of color, particularly our immigrant and refugee communities, and the property damage over the last few days represent the losses of years of equity built up by immigrant business owners and small businesses that feed and clothe their neighborhoods.  I am hopeful that the damage to our building was merely cosmetic, but I recognize that Community Action—which owns the building and provides vital resources to the community—has limited resources and will now have to expend some of those resources on fixing the building instead of helping the people who need it most.

“The destruction must end, but the fight for justice cannot and will not stop. As Dr. King said, ‘Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.’ I take great solace in being part of a team that is fiercely and unabashedly committed to fighting for justice for all.”

Like Minnesotans across the state, we at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota join in grief and outrage over the death of George Floyd. We know that addressing the needs of underserved Minnesotans is an essential step toward reducing racial disparities and addressing structural racism and inequities in our state.

The legislature will come back in special session very soon, probably by June 12. You can support emergency community relief to all Minnesotans by contacting Governor Tim Walz and your Minnesota state senator and representative TODAY and urging them to include HF 4611 in the upcoming special session. We have a sample email text below, but it’s better to use your own words and especially to talk about examples of people you know who are in need right now. You can find your legislators and their contact information here. The phone number for Governor Tim Walz is 651-201-3400.

HF 4611 would establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of federal stimulus grants, unemployment insurance, and other relief programs. These Minnesotans cannot wait any longer.  They need relief now.  They include:

1. Elderly and disabled adults who financially dependent on family members (i.e., can be claimed as dependents on family members’ income tax returns.)
2. Most 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds, whether working or in school
3. College students who are still dependent on their parents
4. Restaurant staff paid on tips, whose tips were not accurately and timely reported by their employers
5. Many New Americans on work visas of various kinds, including those on H1B visas
6. Any New Americans working and paying taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security Number.
7. S. citizens whose spouses pay income taxes using an ITIN.
8. S. citizen children, one of whose parents pays income taxes using an ITIN.

During the House Ways and Means committee hearing regarding this bill, Chairman Lyndon Carlson talked of his own parents’ experience during the depression and the need for this relief to assist families who are in similar circumstances now. The House, the Senate, and the Governor must answer Chairman Carlson’s call. This legislation is urgently needed by Minnesotans across the state. During this pandemic crisis, they need help now to pay for food, housing, and medical care. They cannot wait until the next regular session of the legislature for support.

As COVID-19 sweeps across our state, not all Minnesotans are in the same boat. Some Minnesotans are in boats that can weather the storm, but others are in danger of drowning. HF 4611 offers a life raft that can keep them afloat until this storm subsides. They need that life raft now. 2021 will be too late.

Talking Points: Call your legislator and Governor Tim Walz

(Governor Tim Walz: 651-201-3400)

• Many Minnesotans have been left out of federal COVID-19 relief programs. They need help now!
• HF 4611 will establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of federal stimulus grants, unemployment insurance, and other relief programs. These Minnesotans cannot wait any longer. They need relief now.
• Please include HF 44611 in the special session.

Example of Email to Governor and Legislators

This is an example of an email supporting HF 4611. Please personalize this email by using examples of families you know, your own thoughts, and your own words.

Dear [name]:

Please act to support and pass HF4611 in the upcoming special session. HF 4611 would establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of federal stimulus grants, unemployment insurance, and other relief programs. These Minnesotans cannot wait any longer.  They need relief now.

Minnesotans excluded from federal relief programs include students who are over the age of 17 were not eligible for $500 stimulus grants as dependents or for $1200 stimulus grants as adults. At the other end of the age spectrum, elderly and disabled individuals not receiving Social Security are ineligible for many relief programs. Unemployment insurance benefits do not cover tipped employees at a rate commensurate to their real earnings. People who file taxes using ITINs and their entire families are excluded.

During the regular session, the House Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division and the House Ways and Means Committee both approved HF 4611, and the bill received its second reading on the House floor.

During the House Ways and Means committee hearing regarding this bill, Chairman Lyndon Carlson talked of his own parents’ experience during the depression and the need for this relief to assist families who are in similar circumstances now. The House, the Senate, and the Governor must answer Chairman Carlson’s call. This legislation is urgently needed by Minnesotans across the state. During this pandemic crisis, they need help now to pay for food, housing, and medical care. They cannot wait until the 2021 session for support.

Respectfully,