When federal immigration agents descended on Minnesota last week to target Somali residents, Valerie Aguirre knew it would ripple across immigrant families of all types, scaring people away from living their day-to-day lives.
Aguirre, manager of her family’s Mexican meat market and grocery store, Valerie’s Carniceria, knew she had to take action. If people were afraid to come to them, they would go to the people. The south Minneapolis market began offering free delivery, making about 100 deliveries since last Wednesday.
“I just thought of other families – I was thinking of them,” Aguirre told the Sahan Journal.
Valerie’s Carniceria is one of several Latino businesses stepping up to support immigrant families by offering free delivery across the metro area for groceries purchased from their stores. They also urge Minnesotans who aren’t affected by immigration enforcement to shop at their businesses to support their employees and the community.
“It’s a necessity because they’re scared,” Aguirre said, referring to families in need of free deliveries. “They can’t go out to buy what they need, like food or bath stuff.”
The phone rang constantly when Valerie’s Carniceria began offering free delivery.
“We want to help as many people as possible,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre’s store is serving families in Richfield, Bloomington, St. Louis Park and Brooklyn Park, among other cities. The delivery service does not require a minimum purchase. The influx of delivery requests has helped business, but Aguirre said they’re not sure how long they can offer the free service.
Aguirre said she’s thankful for the orders and families they can help, but it also comes with challenges. “We have been stressed,” she said.
She plans to continue helping out families for as long as she can, but said the free delivery may not last forever due to the extra cost and limited staff.
RELATED STORIES
‘A lifeline’
Latino business owners say they’re worried about the increased presence of federal agents in their neighborhoods. Federal agents began conducting “Operation Metro Surge” on Dec. 1, targeting Somali residents. At least 19 people have been arrested in the operation, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but immigrant advocacy groups say that based on family and eyewitness accounts, the total is probably much higher.
DHS reported that of the 19 people arrested, eight are Somali and 11 are from Latin American countries, including Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.
Daniel Hernandez, the owner of Colonial Market, said that while the current immigration operation is reportedly focused on Somali residents, he’s seen videos and photos on social media that show many undocumented Latinos being arrested by federal agents.
Hernandez’s store in south Minneapolis began offering free delivery last Thursday. On Monday, he drove from Arden Hills to Eagan himself to make deliveries.
“The service – it’s a lifeline for them,” he said.
At Alborada Market on E. Lake Street in Minneapolis, manager Lizete Sanchez said they started offering free delivery on Dec. 3 for customers within a three-mile radius of the store.
“We want to try to help the community, and that’s the only way we can,” she said.
Sanchez’s husband and relatives pick up shifts on weekends and sometimes they volunteer to make deliveries after they’re done working other jobs. Most deliveries are purchases of meat, rice, beans and sugar.
Sanchez has also personally been affected by the increased presence of federal immigration enforcement in the area. She said federal agents confronted her nephew in his car and questioned him last week in Richfield, even though he is a U.S. citizen. She suspects they profiled him because of his race.
She has seen neighborhood restaurants and stores on E. Lake Street hit hard this past week because of the uptick of federal agents in the area. Her store became the center of a rumor on social media on Dec. 1 after two unmarked vehicles chased a SUV into their parking lot. Federal agents arrested a Latino man, leaving behind his wife and children. A bystander posted on social media that their market had been raided by ICE, Sanchez said, deterring customers that day.
“Last Wednesday, we only sell $100,” she said, adding that the business typically makes about $800 to $1,000 a day.
On top of helping the community, Latino business owners also say families purchasing their products and food for free deliveries has boosted their sales.
Her employees are like her family, Sanchez said, and the delivery service is helping to keep their business afloat while the immigration crackdown limits the number of shoppers coming in to the market.
“I want to do more,” she said, “but I don’t have the chance to do something else.”
Although business owners say they’ve seen a decline in shoppers, they see families express appreciation for their free delivery service. Hernandez said employees at his business receive 10% of the money from products they deliver.
“If I help them, I can feed my family, I can feed my employees, then I will keep helping them,” he said.
