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A group of nearly 30 Minnesota companies, including Target, General Mills and U.S. Bank, have contributed about $4 million to a grant fund to support small businesses in the state. 

 such as meeting payroll and paying rent amid the surge in immigration enforcement. 

The fund was established by the nonprofit Minneapolis Foundation, which established a similar fund following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. 

“Right now, there are people who are afraid to go to work,” said R.T. Rybak, president and chief executive officer of the Minneapolis Foundation. “There are suppliers who are limited. So many things are happening because of this ICE surge that small businesses are really suffering.”

The money comes two weeks after Rybak publicly said

against the surge in immigration enforcement. He added that major companies pitching in are dealing with a lot of political pressure from the Trump Administration. 

“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,” he said. 

The heads of the companies that contributed to the fund 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 on Saturday. 

Rybak says the $4 million raised so far is just a start and more money may be needed in the future. 

“This is a really important first step for a business community filled with individuals who want to help, who are also trying to navigate the unnecessary politics that are being put into how business shows up,” he said. 

The Minneapolis Foundation will collaborate with community-based organizations to deliver funds to the small businesses they work with, Rybak said. He added the funds will likely start to be distributed next week. 

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Immigration enforcement in Minnesota

Harshawn Ratanpal

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A couple dozen Minnesota companies have contributed about $4 million to a grant fund to support small businesses in the state as they navigate the challenges of meeting payroll and paying rent amidst the immigration enforcement surge.

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Minn. companies pool funds to help small businesses amidst immigration enforcement surge

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