Man says ICE beat him. ICE blames a wall.

ICE allegedly beat him, then told nurses it was his fault

Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, detained by ICE in St. Paul last month, says agents beat him so badly he forgot he had a daughter. He suffered from eight skull fractures and five brain hemorrhages. Officers initially told nurses that Castañeda Mondragón received the injuries from running headfirst into a wall. [Associated Press]

• “I can’t get on a roof now.” The alleged assault has left him unable to financially support his daughter and elderly father. Castañeda Mondragón arrived from Mexico four years ago and is allowed to work on a temporary visa. Officers discovered only after detaining him that he had overstayed his visa. Castañeda Mondragón has launched a GoFundMe to help with his recovery, as he doesn’t have health insurance. [GoFundMe]
• ICE in sensitive places: Castañeda Mondragón’s case has led to tensions between hospital staff and ICE, especially at Hennepin County Medical Center. Nurses say they doubted ICE’s account of his injuries immediately. The AP reports a “heated encounter" between hospital staff and ICE after agents insisted on shackling Castañeda Mondragón to the bed. The extent to which hospitals cooperate with federal immigration has been a source of tension and protest among organizers and some hospital staff. [Associated Press / Sahan Journal]

Good neighbor: St. Anne’s Place, a homeless shelter for families in North Minneapolis, was vandalized in the fall of 2024 by its neighbors. At the sentencing hearing of one of the assailants, shelter staff asked the judge to waive the $21,000 restitution fee. Instead, they just wanted an apology from the perpetrator. “We cannot punish our way to justice,” said Hoang Murphy, CEO of People Serving People. [Star Tribune]

Less kids, less money (pt. 1): School officials worry that declining attendance will lead to less state funding. St. Paul and Minneapolis have created virtual schools for students who are staying at home, but the school districts must show students are receiving "instruction, services or supervision,” or funding will be cut. [Star Tribune]

Punk tactics: Rolling Stone has a great feature on how Minneapolis punks are using their DIY skills to organize against ICE. A warehouse, probably in the northeast, has been hosting shows under the radar, with PPE and groceries. If you wanna know where, “ask a punk.” [Rolling Stone]

Less kids, less money (pt. 2): Childcare providers are in the same dilemma as schools. Immigrant parents, terrified of being detained by ICE, are keeping their kids at home. If a student is absent for 10 consecutive days or 25 in a year, the childcare provider will no longer receive a government subsidy for that student, which is hard on centers operating on already thin margins. [Minnesota Reformer]

“Fear now shapes everyday decisions”: Immigrant Muslims in the state are planning for Ramadan under the shadow of ICE this year. The holy month, which begins mid-February, centers on community, but those gatherings are now preempted by safety concerns. An imam in Willmar tells Sahan Journal some families will opt to eat at home and gather at the mosque less. [Sahan Journal]

Tuesday, Feb 10

• 🖼️ Alexis Kuhr: Measured Stillness | Katherine E. Nash Gallery
• 🧘 Above It All: Yoga and Soundbath | Windows at Marquette
• 📚 February But Do They Kiss? Book Club! | Tropes & Trifles
• 👠 The Buttercream Show | Roxy’s Cabaret
• 🎸 Matteo Mancuso | Dakota Jazz Club
• 🎤 Drew Peterson | 331 Club

Wednesday, Feb 11

• 🍷 Art & Wine After Dark | Minneapolis Institute of Art
• 🧘 Sound Healing Bath and Yoga Nidra | Soul Logic
• 🤓 Educator Night 🆓 | Wild Rumpus Books
• 👀 This is What Democracy Looks Like (Pt. 2) | Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery
• 🎬 Pauline Black: A 2 Tone Story | Trylon Cinema
• 🥁 Poliça Residency | Icehouse

• Sustainability Storyteller at UMN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships | $59k - $65k per year
• Director of Finance & Operations at Black Collective Foundation MN | $90k - $100k per year
• Collections Cataloger at Minnesota Historical Society | $53k - $57k per year
• Finance Manager at MN350 | $70k - $80k per year
• Telecommunications Program Manager at Friends & Co | $52k - $65k per year