LSP & Our Immigrant Neighbors

At the Land Stewardship Project, we center our work around our shared values of Stewardship, Justice, Fairness, Democracy, Health, and Community.

The kind of world we are trying to create is one in which all people — no matter their age, race, gender, or immigration status — can live safe and productive lives and contribute to their communities. Fostering opportunities for emerging farmers and partnering with immigrant-focused farming organizations have long been part of LSP’s work.

As a rural organization working toward our mission of promoting an ethic of stewardship for farmland, sustainable agriculture and healthy communities, it is important that LSP speak up on immigration issues. We depend upon immigrants to contribute to a robust food and agriculture economy in this country. We will not have a sustainable farm and food system until it is sustainable for everyone.

As a social justice organization, LSP must speak clearly for the dignity of all people when faced with proposals that impact human rights in agriculture. LSP is working closely with partners who are on the ground in immigrant communities, including co-facilitating the Greater Minnesota caucus of the Immigrant Defense Network. This is an important issue to many LSP members and supporters, whether they are recent immigrants to the U.S., employers of immigrants, family, neighbors, or allies.

LSP is currently encouraging people to help the IDN meet their goal of raising $1.5 million to go to directly impacted families.

DONATE HERE!

For more information on why LSP believes this issue is so key to our overall mission, check out this recent blog by our executive director, Scott Elkins.

While the federal government indicated a drawdown of federal agents in Minnesota as of mid-February 2026, the situation continues to evolve, and rural communities and suburbs are seeing significant activity. We know people want concrete ways to support their communities. As a starting point, we have gathered the resources below.

For Immigrants

• Recursos Legales de inmigracion: Legal Resources for Immigration — law offices and organizations compiled by Advocates for Human Rights.
• Article from the Sahan Journal on knowing your rights as an immigrant and what to do during an encounter with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
• Red Cards: Available in multiple languages; these can be slid under the door to communicate your rights.
• Know Your Rights: What to do if Immigration (ICE) Shows Up at Your Workplace

For Allies

• Immigrant Defense Network: Established in 2025, the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN) is an alliance of over 90 immigrant, labor, legal, faith, and community organizations dedicated to protecting and advancing the constitutional rights of immigrant communities across Minnesota. In the face of ongoing and escalating threats to immigrant rights, IDN delivers trusted information, referrals to legal support, and coordinated educational activities.
• Upper Midwest Brave of Us Tour is a multi-city effort coordinated by members of IDN from January to March 2026. The tour is designed to strengthen community readiness, solidarity, and response across the region through trainings and relationship building. Read more about the effort in this Sahan Journal article.
• Toolkit from the National Immigration Law Center for responding to mass workplace raids, like the ones that happened in the latter years of President Donald Trump’s first term.
• Monarca-MN is offering raid response trainings for allies: click here to learn about dates and locations.
• Workplace Justice Policy Brief: To Help U.S. Workers, We Need Labor Standards Enforcement, Not Mass Deportations
• Blog: Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for New Neighbors
• LSP Ear to the Ground Podcast: Know Your Neighbors
• Stand with Minnesota, a volunteer-run website with lots of ways to support Minnesotans, including efforts outside the metro area.

For Farmers

• Farm Commons’ two-part webinar on ICE on the farm, winter 2025-2026
• What to do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace: this is a general guide that describes the most common immigration actions affecting employers, recommendations for how employers can prepare, employers’ rights and responsibilities, and what employers can do after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action. This guide is general information and it is not a substitute for legal advice. Talk to an immigration attorney for specific legal advice.
• Hiring Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: a web page created by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for farmers seeking to employ immigrant workers.
• Minnesota Reformer: this is an article describing how amid Trump’s threats to deport workers, Wisconsin and Minnesota dairy farmers travel to Mexico (2/25/25)

For Institutions

• Minnesota Attorney General’s Guidance on Legal Responsibilities for Minnesota Schools Regarding Federal Immigration Policy

Immigrants & the U. S. Economy

• The Importance of Immigrant Labor to the US Economy
• New Data Analysis: Immigrants Driving Opportunity, Prosperity in the U.S., Including in Swing States
• Explainer: Immigrants and the U.S. Economy
• Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants

Want to Get Involved?

Interested in additional resources and ways to show up? Sign up for LSP’s racial justice hotlist to stay connected to this and other aspects of our work.

Last updated 2/18/2026