Fact Check: Are NYC residents being asked to make donations to pay rent for migrants in Minnesota?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A claim has been circulating on social media platforms that the residents of New York City are asked for donations to cover the rent of illegal immigrants in Minnesota.

The rumor has sparked speculations, with many questioning the authenticity of the claim. Let us examine the origins of the claim and fact-check its authenticity.

Claim: New York residents are asked to pay rent of illegal immigrants

The rumor was sparked by a screenshot of a text message saying, “Please help protect Minnesota families from ICE. The post-effective protection is paying their rent.” The message was accompanied by a link to learn more about the information. 

The link leads to a page stating, “Help Minnesota families pay their rent. Please chip in any amount right now.” The page further read, “I’m Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, the President of Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and my city is under occupation by the federal government.”

The note concluded by stating, “Our community has pulled together, doing everything we can to protect our neighbors from being kidnapped and detained by ICE and border patrol.”

Fact Check: The claim is legitimate

A fact check Grok, the AI assistant of X stated that, “The screenshot shared in the X post appears to depict a legitimate text message from the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation (via their associated entity, The Labor Force), soliciting donations for a rent assistance fund aimed at helping immigrant families in Minnesota who are avoiding work due to ongoing ICE enforcement operations.”

Some recipients have marked the messages as spam or scams since they were unsolicited. However, the Minnesota-specific campaign is genuine and connects to a verified fund.

Although the campaign has sparked outrage amongst conservatives, whether to donate to it is optional. Also, the campaign doesn't mention assistance for illegal immigrants specifically, as claimed by the viral tweet.

This campaign is part of broader community and organizational efforts in early 2026 to prevent evictions due to increased immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis area.

Local advocates report that the increased ICE activity has kept some residents at home, resulting in lost wages and challenges in paying rent.

Massive protests against ICE in Minnesota

The campaign began amid the death of Alex Pretti, setting off protests and renewed anger in Minneapolis, already unsettled by a similar deadly shooting weeks earlier. 

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration. 

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis following the shooting, demanding accountability and calling for the withdrawal of federal agents from the city.

Demonstrators cited both the killing and broader concerns over federal enforcement tactics.