Brooklyn Center Moves to Stabilize Immigrant Families and Small Businesses Amid Growing Strain

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN

In Brooklyn Center, a first-ring suburb shaped by immigration, small enterprise, and neighborhood-scale commerce, city leaders are working to steady a community facing both social uncertainty and economic disruption. The effort, city officials say, is not about emergency optics, but about preserving trust, continuity, and access at a moment when fear and workforce instability are rippling across daily life.

Mayor April Graves said the city has taken a coordinated approach focused on education, outreach, and economic support. The strategy centers on connecting residents to verified legal and social resources while urging the broader community to sustain immigrant-owned and locally operated businesses that remain open.

“There are multiple different ways that you can connect,” Graves said in an interview with CCX Media. “Whether you are going to our city website and finding a link to a different organization or reaching out to our Community Health, Prevention, and Safety team, there are many different Know Your Rights trainings happening throughout the metro. I encourage everyone to check out those resources and share them with those who may be in need.”

A Centralized Bridge to Support and Information

At the center of the city’s response is a deliberate effort to act as a connector rather than a gatekeeper. Brooklyn Center has compiled and promoted online resource pages that link residents to trusted legal advocacy organizations, regional training sessions, and community-based assistance.

These include “Know Your Rights” workshops offered across the Twin Cities metro in partnership with organizations such as the ACLU of Minnesota and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. The trainings provide residents with clear, practical information about constitutional protections, lawful interactions with authorities, and steps to take during encounters with federal immigration officials.

City officials emphasize that the purpose of these efforts is empowerment through knowledge. The goal is not to escalate fear, but to replace rumor and uncertainty with accurate, verified information that allows families to make informed decisions.

Complementing these legal resources is Brooklyn Center’s Community Health, Prevention, and Safety department, known as CHPS. The department functions as a non-police outreach and response arm, focusing on mental health support, housing stability, crisis intervention, and service navigation. For immigrant families and others hesitant to engage traditional law enforcement, CHPS provides an alternative point of contact rooted in public health and community trust.

Economic Strain Reaches Neighborhood Businesses

Alongside social concerns, the city is confronting a quieter but equally consequential challenge. Many locally owned restaurants and markets are operating under reduced capacity, not because of a lack of customers, but because of staffing shortages and rising operational costs.

Graves said the city has been notified that a number of restaurants have temporarily closed their dining rooms or shifted to drive-through and takeout-only service due to workforce constraints.

“Many of the drive-throughs are open, many of the locally owned markets are open,” she said. “I just want to encourage folks to go out and support our small businesses who are struggling right now.”

The shift reflects what city officials describe as a labor-utility gap. Independent restaurants, particularly those operated by immigrant families, are balancing thin margins against high turnover in the service sector. Closing dining rooms allows owners to reduce front-of-house staffing needs while keeping kitchens operating through drive-through service and delivery platforms.

Brooklyn Center is encouraging residents to use the city’s business directory to identify which markets and restaurants remain open for walk-in shopping and takeout. The message from City Hall is straightforward. Community stability depends not only on access to rights and resources, but on keeping neighborhood businesses viable.

Community Safety as a Shared Responsibility

Throughout her remarks, Mayor Graves has framed the city’s response as a collective project. Community safety, she has said, is not limited to law enforcement or emergency response. It also includes protecting civil rights, maintaining access to services, and sustaining the economic ecosystems that allow families to remain rooted.

Brooklyn Center’s approach reflects a broader municipal philosophy taking hold across parts of Minnesota. Local governments are increasingly positioning themselves as stabilizing institutions in times of uncertainty, emphasizing transparency, education, and partnership with nonprofit and advocacy organizations.

For residents seeking assistance, city officials recommend starting with the Brooklyn Center website’s immigrant resource listings, contacting the CHPS department for crisis or support needs, and attending verified Know Your Rights trainings offered throughout the metro. For those able to help in other ways, the city’s call is equally clear. Support local markets, use neighborhood restaurants, and keep community dollars circulating close to home.

In a city built by newcomers and sustained by small enterprise, Brooklyn Center’s message is measured but firm. Stability is not automatic. It is something a community chooses to protect together.

MinneapoliMedia