In 2026, we have filed seven habeas petitions for members of our community, some of which we’ve filed in just two hours after the person has been detained. In every single one of these cases, judges have ordered our neighbors be returned to Minnesota and released. This was our goal when we started this effort, but one that seemed like a pipe dream. Thanks to you, though, these seven people are back home with their families and loved ones. And while the legal road ahead is long, we are here to help them.
In the words of one of our detainees: You have saved my life. Your efforts have put mothers back with their children and children with their families. You are God in the world, doing God’s work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We are using what we have learned to help the broader community. We’ve developed a rich set of resources to help families understand the requirements how they can prepare for possible detention and the challenges they face post-detention, which we’ve made available to anyone and shared broadly.
Our team of family support and legal volunteers have helped many neighbors who don’t qualify for NSN’s financial support as they navigate tricky legal situations around detainment. And in light of recent detentions of defendants at Rice County Courthouse, we've worked with the public defender’s office to prioritize remote hearings for their clients.
And we’re stepping in to fill a gap identified in our habeas work. Once a parent is detained, the hurdles to securing a passport for a US citizen child multiply. NSN’s legal fund is now paying passport fees for US citizen children and partners of vulnerable community members, as well as for neighbors who otherwise feel unsafe and need a passport to show citizenship.
As long as ICE is detaining our neighbors, we’ll keep filing habeas petitions, institutionalizing & sharing what we’ve learned, and stepping up to fill gaps we are uniquely positioned to help with. None of this would be possible without your support, and we - and the many neighbors whose lives you have impacted - are grateful to have you as part of our community.