Fear of ICE could trigger an eviction wave
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State Sen. Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) speaks at a rally calling for a statewide eviction moratorium during the ICE surge. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
Many immigrant workers are too afraid of ICE to commute to their jobs, and soon, they may not be able to pay rent.
Why it matters: Tenant advocates fear a wave of evictions may be building as renters fall behind — and they want state leaders to take emergency steps to head it off.
- The loudest voices, including the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils, are begging Gov. Tim Walz to pause all evictions until the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge ends.
Reality check: Walz "does not currently have the legal authority to enact an eviction moratorium," the governor's office told Axios.
- He would have to declare a "peacetime emergency" — a legally fraught maneuver.
The big picture: Operation Metro Surge has hurt the local economy. Immigrant business corridors are ghost towns. Construction work has slowed. In-person school attendance has cratered.
- The Greater Twin Cities United Way's hotline reported a 145% increase in rental assistance calls — and a 15-fold increase in calls from Spanish-speakers.
State of play: Year-to-date eviction filings statewide were down slightly through January, according to data from tenant advocacy organization HOME Line.
- But that may be because of a surge in crowdfunded mutual aid, landlords' generosity, and legally required waiting periods for landlords before filing an eviction claim, HOME Line executive director Eric Hauge told Axios.
What they're saying: "This is going to get worse before it gets better," state Rep. Mike Howard (DFL-Richfield) told Axios. "Little Band-Aids abound right now, but all the evidence is for us needing a more sustained broader effort."
Threat level: Hennepin County has set aside $9.6 million in emergency assistance funds for low-income renters — enough to prevent an estimated 2,500 evictions, homelessness prevention manager Will Lehman told Axios.
- However, county officials know this assistance doesn't always fully cover what tenants owe — and if demand spikes for "multiple months," those funds would likely be exhausted, Lehman said.
- The Minneapolis City Council voted last week to inject $1 million in city funds into Hennepin County's rental assistance program.
Zoom in: The ranking DFL lawmakers on the Legislature's housing committees — Howard and state Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville) — have proposed "urgent passage" of $50 million in additional emergency rental assistance.
- "The governor is open to exploring all avenues to helping people," Walz's office said.
Plus: Among other steps, their legislation would also extend the pre-eviction notice periods from 14 to 30 days statewide.
- Howard "absolutely understands" calls for an eviction moratorium, but notes the governor "can't cancel anybody's rent … You could potentially be moving an eviction crisis off, but creating even a larger one in the future."
What we're watching: Republicans share control of the tied Minnesota House, and it's unclear where they stand on the DFL proposal.
- The Housing Committee's GOP co-chair, Rep. Spencer Igo, declined Axios' request for comment.
- Howard said he's had "productive" conversations with Igo: "There are plenty of landlords that are gonna be struggling with multiple of their tenants unable to make rent in blue districts and red districts."
What's next: The Legislature convenes on Feb. 17 — and if an eviction wave is building, that's right around when it would start hitting the court system.