CAAL and Minnesota Asian Pacific Senate MAP Caucus to Hold Formal Hearing on ICE Enforcement Impacts

Annual Asian Minnesotan Day at the Capitol kicks off Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on April 30

ST. PAUL, MN, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) will host its annual Asian Minnesotan Day at the Capitol on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the Minnesota State Capitol. Held to kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the event brings together Asian Minnesotan community members, leaders, and advocates from across the state for a full day of programming, legislative engagement, and community-driven advocacy.

This year’s Day at the Capitol comes at a critical moment. Asian Minnesotan communities across Minnesota are directly feeling the impacts of federal immigration enforcement, threats to educational equity, and economic instability. CAAL is calling on community members, organizations, and allies to show up, engage their legislators, and make their voices heard where policy decisions are being made.

Minnesota’s Asian community is one of the most distinct in the nation. Asian Minnesotans make up approximately 6% of the state’s population, over 332,000 residents, and nearly 60% of that population is Southeast Asian, including the largest urban Hmong population in the United States. This makes Minnesota’s Asian community unlike anywhere else in the country, and it is precisely why the advocacy happening on April 30 matters.

ABOUT THE DAY
The day will open with a morning program featuring invited state leaders, including Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth and Majority Leader Erin Murphy (participation pending availability), followed by legislative meet-and-greets and lunch.

The day culminates in the featured event:
Standing With Our Communities: Asian Minnesotan Legislative Hearing on ICE Enforcement Impacts
1:00 – 3:00 PM | Capitol Room G-15

The Minnesota Asian Pacific (MAP) Senate Caucus, in partnership with CAAL, will hold a formal hearing on the impacts of ICE enforcement on Asian Minnesotan communities in Minnesota. Community members, leaders, and stakeholders are encouraged to deliver testimony directly to state senators. The hearing will be officially recorded.

The hearing is co-hosted with:
• Senator Tou Xiong
• Senator Foung Hawj
• Senator Susan Pha

CAAL’S 2026 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
CAAL envisions a Minnesota where all residents, regardless of background, are actively engaged and can achieve prosperity. This legislative session, CAAL is advocating for:

ECONOMICS
Pass $100 million in relief for small businesses impacted by the ICE surge (SF4535, Pha/HF4477, Frazier). Minnesota’s Asian Minnesotan-owned small businesses are among the hardest hit by the current surge in federal immigration enforcement. Relief funding is critical to stabilizing our communities and our economy.

IMMIGRATION
Advocate for policies that protect all immigrants and refugees, workers and small businesses from harmful enforcement and systemic barriers.
Education

Support policies that expand access, language equity and culturally responsive resources for Asian Minnesotan students and families. CAAL supports the STAR Act (SF4176, Fateh/HF3924, Feist) to protect the constitutional rights of Minnesotans from federal overreach and prohibit federal immigration enforcement without judicial warrants at schools, school bus stops, and colleges. Every student deserves to learn without fear.

JOIN US ON APRIL 30
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda | 9:15 AM – 3:00 PM
More than 250 community members are expected to attend. Walk-ins are welcome.

• 9:15 – 10:30 AM — Morning Program with invited state leaders, including Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth, Majority Leader Erin Murphy, and other leaders (participation pending availability)
• 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM — Legislative Meet & Greets
• 12:15 PM — Lunch
• 1:00 – 3:00 PM — Standing With Our Communities: API Legislative Hearing on ICE Enforcement Impacts | Capitol G-15

ABOUT CAAL
The Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) is a statewide network of over 5,800 Asian Minnesotan leaders across Minnesota. CAAL’s mission is to harness collective power to improve the lives of community by connecting, learning, and acting together. Founded on the belief that Asian American communities are strongest when united, CAAL builds leadership, advances policy, and creates spaces for community members to engage civically and advocate for change. From classrooms to the Capitol, CAAL works to ensure that Asian Minnesotan voices are heard, represented, and centered in the decisions that shape their lives. CAAL envisions a Minnesota where all residents, regardless of background, are actively engaged and can achieve prosperity — and where the collective power of Asian American communities drives meaningful, lasting change.

Aisha Branch
Vyne Collective
aisha@vynecollective.com
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