Donated Coats Flood In for ICE Detainees in Minnesota

Community rallies to provide warm clothing for those released from detention in subzero temperatures

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In response to reports of people being released from ICE detention in Minneapolis without proper winter clothing, the local community has mobilized to donate an overwhelming number of coats, with donation sites across the city collecting bags full of outerwear. Volunteers are now working to sort and distribute the donated items to those in need.

Why it matters

The situation highlights the challenging conditions faced by those detained by ICE, who are sometimes released without access to basic necessities like warm clothing, especially in Minnesota's harsh winters. The community's response demonstrates the power of grassroots mutual aid efforts to support vulnerable populations when government agencies fall short.

The details

After reports emerged of people being released from the Whipple ICE detention facility in Minneapolis without coats in subzero temperatures, a call for donations went out on social media. An outpouring of coats in all sizes and styles quickly flooded donation sites like American Pie Pizza and Relish. Volunteers like Sade Young and Rachel Gerdes have been working to sort and distribute the donated items to those in need, with Gerdes even giving the clothes off her own back to a shivering woman released from detention.

  • A couple of weeks ago, volunteers started seeing people released from the Whipple ICE facility without winter clothing.
  • In January, the temperatures in Minneapolis were well below freezing.

The players

Sade Young

A content creator who has transformed her Instagram account to focus on organizing donation drives and mutual aid efforts in response to the situation.

Rachel Gerdes

An Instagram user with 40,000 followers who has been directing people to Haven Watch and other groups raising funds and supplies for those affected by ICE detentions.

Haven Watch

A mutual aid group that has been coordinating efforts to support those impacted by ICE detentions in Minnesota.

Whipple ICE Detention Facility

The ICE detention center in Minneapolis where people have been released without proper winter clothing.

ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The federal law enforcement agency responsible for the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We accidentally acquired every single coat in the state of Minnesota.”

— Sade Young

“A couple of weeks ago, I was at Whipple, seeing if there was anything I could do. They released someone in front of the Whipple Building in no winter clothes. It was freezing cold. She was just out in the cold.”

— Rachel Gerdes

“These kids are traumatized. They're out in the cold. They're shaking, crying. They just went through something so horrible.”

— Rachel Gerdes

What’s next

Volunteers and mutual aid groups continue to monitor the situation at the Whipple ICE facility, ready to provide warm clothing and other assistance to those released in the cold. Organizers say they still need monetary donations to sustain their efforts.

The takeaway

The community's swift and compassionate response to this crisis underscores the vital role of grassroots mutual aid in filling the gaps left by government agencies, and the power of neighbors coming together to support the most vulnerable members of society.