Early on a humid Monday morning, federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement surrounded a residential roof in St. Paul's West Side and detained eight men who neighbors say were repairing storm-damaged homes. The arrests, carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, were described in an ICE statement as part of a worksite enforcement action alleging employment without authorization. Neighbors and community leaders called the sweep disruptive and disproportionate, arguing it pulled essential labor out of tight neighborhoods and left families scrambling.

By midday, volunteers had organized at a nearby church to collect donations of food, diapers and gas cards. "They were our neighbors; they were fixing roofs before winter," said Maria Alvarez, who lives across the street from the house where the arrests occurred. "First we worry about the kids who wake up and find their parent gone. Then we worry about the medicine, the rent, everything that keeps a family alive."

Local immigrant-rights groups said they were flooded with calls from families seeking legal representation and emergency assistance. Attorneys and paralegals set up a hotline, and faith leaders drove relatives to a county detention center to visit those held. The rapid community response underscored how enforcement actions can create immediate public-health and social-service needs, advocates said.

Public-health officials warn that the consequences extend beyond short-term material needs. "When a primary wage earner is detained, we see cascading impacts on mental health, medication adherence, pediatric care and vaccine continuity," said a public-health researcher at the University of Minnesota who works with immigrant communities. "These disruptions are social determinants of health — not incidental effects."

Health clinics reporting on the neighborhood said they are preparing for an influx of patients who may need assistance enrolling in health programs, refilling prescriptions and getting behavioral health support. School counselors in the district noted students exhibiting anxiety after parental detentions, and guidance staff are working to connect families with trauma-informed services.

City officials acknowledged the strain. The mayor's office issued a statement encouraging residents to use local resources and reaffirming commitments to community-based legal and social supports, while also noting its limited authority over federal immigration enforcement. "We are focused on mitigating harms, supporting families and ensuring access to care," the office said.

The arrests have amplified longstanding debates over worksite enforcement and the role of localities in protecting undocumented workers. Advocates argue that reliance on immigrant labor for essential, often hazardous jobs — roofing among them — demands a policy overhaul that includes pathways to legalization, stronger workplace protections and limits on federal actions that fracture communities. Employers and labor experts point to the shadow economy, where few protections encourage vulnerability to exploitation and swift disruption when enforcement occurs.

As winter approaches and roofs remain a pressing public-safety concern, neighbors say the episode has crystallized a wider reality: enforcement actions do not happen in isolation. They ripple into classrooms, clinics and kitchens, exposing policy gaps that disproportionately harm low-income immigrant families. "We're not just replacing a paycheck," said Rev. José Rivera, who organized the donation drive. "We're trying to keep whole people and whole neighborhoods from falling apart.