01/30/2026
abiRiver stands for safety, home, and belonging
abiRiver was created on the belief that everyone deserves a safe space to call home, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the path they’ve walked. Our mission is to meet people where they are and be a support where it’s needed most—without judgment, conditions, or expectation.
Minnesota is home to my tribe, rooted here long before borders were drawn. It’s also home because of immigration. On one side, my Anishinaabe ancestors were here first, tied to this land and community. On the other, my European ancestors came here seeking opportunity, bringing an umbrella of privilege because of the color of their skin that they probably didn't expect. It is a reality that is contradictory: I benefit from that privilege, and I experience the disparity that comes with being a minority in this place I call home. It provides safety to some, while others are made to fear for their rights and lives.
Today, Minnesota is standing up for a cause that many in our community never thought we’d see here. In the past weeks, federal immigration has created a presence that has deeply shaken people across the state and the nation.
No one is saying we don’t want safe streets. We do. What we are saying, and what many Minnesotans are saying, is that safety should not come at the expense of our constitutional rights. We are calling for accountability and due process for all, rights that should not disappear based on skin, citizenship, or circumstance.
We believe that no one should feel unsafe in their home or community, their place of belonging.
At abiRiver, we are advocates for people inside their homes. We are also advocates outside their homes, standing in solidarity with neighbors who are distressed, marginalized, or being told that this place isn’t theirs.
Because abi means to be home. And home should be a right, not a threat.
-Therese
