Minneapolis City Council Approves $1 Million in Rental Assistance for Families Impacted by ICE Surge

The funds will be administered by Hennepin County to help families facing eviction due to the federal operation.

Feb. 5, 2026 at 6:31pm

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The Minneapolis City Council voted to allocate $1 million in rental assistance to Hennepin County to help families impacted by Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation. Council members say the funds will benefit around 250 families but acknowledge it is just a small step in addressing the crisis faced by many residents too afraid to go to work due to the threat of detention.

Why it matters

The rental assistance is a response to the significant disruption and hardship caused by the federal immigration operation in the Minneapolis area, with many families facing the threat of eviction after the primary breadwinner was detained. The council debate highlights the difficult choices around funding sources and the concerns about potential misuse of the funds.

The details

The council debated where to source the $1 million, with proposals to use contingency funds or money from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund failing. Ultimately, they settled on taking the funds from the general city budget, despite concerns about the impact on the city's bond rating due to other emergency spending. The city will work with Hennepin County to distribute the rental assistance to families who have received eviction notices due to the federal immigration operation.

  • The Minneapolis City Council voted on Thursday, February 5, 2026 to approve the $1 million in rental assistance.

The players

Aisha Chughtai

A Minneapolis City Council member who spoke about the tragic stories of families impacted by the federal immigration operation.

Elizabeth Shaffer

A Minneapolis City Council member who expressed concerns about the city's bond rating and other emergency spending needs.

Pearll Warren

A Minneapolis City Council member who voiced worries about potential fraud in the distribution of the rental assistance funds.

Jason Chavez

A Minneapolis City Council member who argued that providing rental assistance to prevent evictions of residents is not fraudulent.

Hennepin County

The county that will administer the $1 million in rental assistance funds provided by the Minneapolis City Council.

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What they’re saying

“I spoke to a mom who is disabled, her husband is in detention. She's now suddenly become a single parent. She's behind on rent, every story is tragic. It is hearbreaking.”

— Aisha Chughtai, Minneapolis City Council member (CBS News)

“We've already gotten question marks about our bond rating when there is already $5 million of overtime spent that we need to take care of to take care of the residents of our city.”

— Elizabeth Shaffer, Minneapolis City Council member (CBS News)

“It is not fraudulent to want to prevent the eviction of our neighbors. It is not fraudulent to support neighbors with rental assistance.”

— Jason Chavez, Minneapolis City Council member (CBS News)

What’s next

The city says it will work with Hennepin County to administer the $1 million in rental assistance funds to families impacted by the federal immigration operation who have received eviction notices.

The takeaway

This emergency rental assistance program highlights the significant hardship faced by many Minneapolis families due to the disruptive federal immigration enforcement operation, and the difficult choices city leaders must make to provide support while balancing other budget priorities and concerns about potential misuse of funds.