A Minneapolis coffee shop and a long-standing sex toy store have quietly become lifelines for immigrant families, as fear of federal immigration enforcement keeps many residents confined indoors and dependent on community support.
Reuters shared a clip on Instagram highlighting how everyday businesses are stepping into unexpected roles, transforming into informal aid centers as immigration raids intensify across the city.
Community members say the heightened presence of federal agents has forced families to avoid routine activities, including grocery shopping, medical visits, and sending children to school. Instead, they are leaning heavily on neighbors and local businesses for food, supplies, and basic care.
One such place is Pow Wow Grounds, an Indigenous-owned coffee shop in south Minneapolis. A sign posted on its door reads, “No Federal Agents Permitted on Premises.” The shop now keeps its doors locked, opening only when customers knock.
Inside, volunteers sort donated food, diapers, and household essentials that are distributed to immigrant families across the area.
READ: JD Vance backs ICE following arrest of 5-year-old in Minnesota, blames locals for unrest (
Rob Rice, the owner of Pow Wow Grounds, told Reuters how the effort works on the ground.
“Everything is donated that’s in this room. What happens here is we get it out to families and we send it out to different organizations… that also deliver food to people.”
Rice said volunteers have also started keeping watch in neighborhoods near schools, looking out for the presence of ICE agents.
Just down the street, the sex toy store Smitten Kitten has also become part of the informal support network. Its owner, JP, said fear has driven families to desperate measures, including reusing disposable diapers and skipping medical care.
“I am enraged. I am absolutely f****ng pissed. This is, it’s a tragedy. It’s diabolical. They have created, and when I say they, I mean the federal ICE agents and all the rest of them, have created what’s akin to a natural disaster. What is happening here is what you see after a hurricane, after tremendous flooding, after wildfires. But it’s man-made. Like, they’re doing it. And it’s unnecessary and evil.”
READ: Can ICE agents enter homes without warrants? (
The surge in fear follows the deployment of thousands of Border Patrol and ICE agents to Minneapolis as part of a sweeping deportation operation ordered by President Donald Trump. Residents and local officials have described the scale of the operation as unprecedented.
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino briefly addressed reporters in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
“Fantastic. It’s going good. A lot of good arrests today.”
ICE vehicles stopping at a gas station to refuel sparked protests from Minnesotans who confronted the agents on site.
“Shame! Shame! You are the illegals. You are the criminals!”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have sharply criticized the enforcement actions, calling them reckless political theater that they say endangers public safety and is designed to provoke fear and chaos.