To the Donor Community,
We are seeking people who have connections to those with the corporate or political power to help stop ICE.
Are you a major donor or do you have personal connections to US legislators or local Minnesota politicians or their key staff? Do you have connections to Executive leadership or Board Members of Target, Enterprise, US Bank, Hilton, Delta, 3M, Palantir, or Home Depot, or are you a major stockholder of any of those companies? We want to hear from you, confidentially, right now.
Please feel free to pass this on to individuals who you think may have connections, but do NOT share on listservs or social media. If you still need recommendations of where to give resources in Minnesota, you can also reach out to the contacts below.
As the deadly occupation of Minneapolis by ICE agents continues to escalate, we’re reaching out with an urgent invitation to do our part to stop the brutality and terror of Trump’s regime. What happens in Minneapolis over the next weeks will set the tone of resistance around the country. We see the tide turning against ICE as an occupying force, and this is a moment to push every angle of power we can! That includes the political, financial, and social capital that wealthy people often have access to. That’s why Democracy Alliance, Donors of Color Action, Movement Voter Project, Resource Generation Action, Showing Up for Racial Justice, Solidaire Action, Way to Win, and Women Donors Network Action are reaching out together to all of our networks to find the places our members have positional power.
We have an opportunity to bring our most creative, courageous selves to this fight—to find the places where we have access and power and use it to side with the majority. We’d like to build the muscle of using our connections, not individually and in private, but collectively, leaning on one another for support and in lock step with movement demands.
Political:
US Senate: In a big movement win, most Democratic Senators are on record opposing the DHS funding bill. But political support and leverage for moves like this will continue to be crucial. If you or your family have been major donors or have personal connections to any members of the House or Senate, let us know. This situation is changing rapidly, so right now we are especially looking for connections to US Senator Fetterman or to key staffers. He has not yet taken a position on stopping funding for ICE in the budget negotiations that will take place this week though he supports stripping DHS funding out of the larger funding package. We are also looking for connections to Senators Shaheen, Hassan, King, Warnock, Ossoff, Kaine, Warner, Cortez Masto, and Rosen, who have all taken a position to oppose the DHS funding bill, but could use additional support and thanks from grasstops supporters for taking a public stance. If you have been major donors or have personal connections to other federal legislators, those are also helpful—after the budget fight, there will be new demands that require strong action.
Minnesota: If you have connections to politicians in Minnesota who could help move state demands, let us know. Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia are calling on the Minneapolis Mayor and City Council, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and Governor Walz and the State of Minnesota to immediately enact a temporary eviction moratorium, paired with emergency rental assistance, throughout this occupation of Minnesota by federal agencies targeting and threatening immigrants. Most people who are afraid of ICE have lost significant income during this time, and many are on the verge of homelessness.
Corporate:
There are active campaigns against Target, Enterprise, US Bank, Hilton, Delta, 3M, Home Depot, Palantir, and all hotel chains, each of whom is friendly with or directly profiting from collaboration with ICE. If you are a major shareholder, have connections to their corporate leadership (C-Suite or Board) or are in any way connected to the leadership of philanthropic arms of these corporations, we’d like to explore with you the ways to exert pressure and win movement demands.
Please reach out to the following staff of the organization you feel closest to, or where your personal relationships are strongest. You can expect to start with a confidential one-on-one conversation.
In Minnesota, after two people have been killed and thousands terrorized, more and more people keep showing up in the streets to say NO, we will not back down. Will we join them with the same clarity and courage?
In Solidarity,
Democracy Alliance - [email protected]
Donors of Color Action - [email protected]
Movement Voter Project - [email protected]
Resource Generation Action - [email protected]
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) - [email protected]
Solidaire Action - [email protected]
Way to Win - [email protected]
Women Donors Network - [email protected]
