Minnesota Companies Pool Funds to Aid Small Businesses Amid Immigration Crackdown

Target, General Mills, and U.S. Bank contribute $4 million to support local firms struggling with payroll and rent

Jan. 29, 2026 at 1:07pm

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Nearly 30 major Minnesota companies, including Target, General Mills, and U.S. Bank, have contributed about $4 million to a grant fund established by the Minneapolis Foundation to support small businesses in the state facing challenges like meeting payroll and paying rent due to the surge in immigration enforcement.

Why it matters

The fund aims to help small businesses that are suffering from the effects of increased immigration enforcement, with some workers afraid to go to work and suppliers being limited. The business community is stepping up to support these local firms after the Minneapolis Foundation established a similar fund following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

The details

The fund was established by the nonprofit Minneapolis Foundation, which will collaborate with community organizations to distribute the funds to the small businesses they work with. R.T. Rybak, the president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, said the $4 million raised so far is just a start and more money may be needed in the future. The heads of the contributing companies were among a larger group of CEOs who signed onto a letter calling for de-escalation following the killing of Alex Pretti by immigration enforcement agents.

  • The fund was established in late January 2026.
  • The $4 million in contributions was raised in the weeks following the public call for action by R.T. Rybak.
  • The funds are expected to start being distributed to small businesses next week.

The players

Target

A major retail company that contributed to the $4 million grant fund.

General Mills

A large food manufacturing company that contributed to the $4 million grant fund.

U.S. Bank

A national bank that contributed to the $4 million grant fund.

Minneapolis Foundation

A nonprofit organization that established the $4 million grant fund to support small businesses affected by the immigration enforcement surge.

R.T. Rybak

The president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, who is leading the effort to raise funds for small businesses.

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What they’re saying

“Right now, there are people who are afraid to go to work. There are suppliers who are limited. So many things are happening because of this ICE surge that small businesses are really suffering.”

— R.T. Rybak, President and CEO, Minneapolis Foundation (MPRNews.org)

“What we wanted to do was to create a way that large businesses, who overwhelmingly have talked to us about wanting to get involved, could collectively get involved and put that first toe in the water.”

— R.T. Rybak, President and CEO, Minneapolis Foundation (MPRNews.org)

What’s next

The Minneapolis Foundation will start distributing the $4 million in funds to small businesses through community organizations next week.

The takeaway

This initiative by major Minnesota companies to support small businesses affected by the immigration enforcement surge demonstrates the business community's willingness to step up and address the challenges facing local firms, even in the face of political pressure from the federal government.