Trisha Collopy
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News editor @sahanjournal. Formerly: @StarTribune. Former @loftliterary fellow. Poetry nerd, news addict, bibliophile. 🏳️🌈
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Articles by Trisha Collopy
Minnesota PUC approves pipeline reroute near Pipestone National Monument over tribal opposition
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Thursday approved a developer’s proposal to build a petroleum pipeline that skirts Pipestone National Monument in southwestern Minnesota. The 4-1 vote follows a years-long battle to renew a permit for a pipeline from Marshall, Minnesota, to Sioux Falls, S.D. The original line, which ran through the monument itself, was shut down in 2022 when the Department of Interior refused to renew its right-of-way permit.
Three Minnesotans deported to Somalia after a month at Guantánamo Bay
U.S. immigration authorities have deported nine Somali men from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Somalia, including three Minnesotans. Among those on the private flight last week were Adam Mohamed Abdullah and Hassan Abtidoon. They were held at U.S. detention facilities at Guantánamo for about a month before their deportation.
Somali men in ICE custody say a ‘refueling’ stop became weeks at Guantánamo Bay
As many as 12 Somali deportees have passed through the U.S. detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in recent weeks and eight remain, according to two Minnesota men still held there. One of the men, St. Paul resident Abdullahi Adam Mohamed, said he was told by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that he was being deported from Louisiana to Somalia with a refueling stop in Cuba. He’s now been at Guantánamo for three weeks.
‘Many people, one place’: Twin Cities Carifest brings Carnival to Minneapolis riverfront
While the Caribbean community in the Twin Cities may not be as large as those in cities like Miami or New York, Minnesota is home to more than 8,000 Caribbean residents representing a wide range of islands, cultures and languages. One annual tradition brings them together: Carnival. On Saturday, Caribbean Minnesotans will fill the streets — adorned with feathers, rhinestones, sequins and jewels — to honor generations of cultural pride.
‘Threads of Us’ explores how Minnesota immigrants hold onto home
What does it look like to carry your culture with you? When Minneapolis architect and photographer Patricia Mutebi posted a casting call on TikTok in December, she was looking for a way to map how immigrants and diaspora communities in Minnesota keep their heritage close. She initially planned to photograph Twin Cities residents in their homes, but Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota, forced her to reconsider the safety of her subjects.
Sahan Journal wins 11 awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists
Sahan Journal’s “Meet Your Mayor” quizzes and its series of stories on the Trump administration’s impact on higher education won top awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists this year. The two first-place awards were among 11 Sahan staff received Tuesday night at the 2026 Minnesota SPJ Page One Award ceremony in St. Paul. SPJ judges praised the engaging and interactive nature of the mayoral quizzes, which allowed readers to see how candidates’ views aligned with their own.
‘Vital for our democracy’: Sahan’s Chao Xiong makes case for independent media as he accepts Columbia Journalism Award
Sahan Journal’s past and present came together on Tuesday, May 19, at an awards ceremony in New York as Editorial Director Chao Xiong accepted the Columbia Journalism Award with founder Mukhtar Ibrahim and current Executive Director Vanan Murugesan in the audience. The annual national award honors reporting that informs, serves communities and advances the highest standards of the profession.
15 months into Trump’s second term, Fort Snelling Immigration Court is transformed
For asylum seekers in the United States, the prospect of relief in immigration court is waning. Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has moved to remake immigration courts across the country and accelerate deportations. More than 100 immigration judges have been fired nationwide, according to the New York Times, while data from courtrooms shows that asylum cases are increasingly being denied.
New East African films at this year's MSP International Film Fest
Minnesota’s robust arts scene and its location as home to one of the largest East African communities in the country have made it a destination for filmmakers from the diaspora who want to create and showcase new work.
Theater Mu highlights Hmong women facing generational cycles
In many Hmong families, love is understood through quiet rituals of care. “We don’t typically say ‘I love you,’” said Minnesota-based artist Melody Her.
Sahan Journal receives national Columbia Journalism Award for immigration coverage
Sahan Journal has received this year’s Columbia Journalism Award for its coverage of Minnesota immigrants and the local response to Operation Metro Surge. Faculty at the Columbia Journalism School said they chose the nonprofit news outlet for the award for its locally rooted coverage and entrepreneurial mindset.
Minnesota foster youth call on state lawmakers to stop seizing their federal benefits
This story was originally published by The Imprint, a national nonprofit news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice. Sign up for The Imprint’s free newsletters here. On Wednesday, more than a dozen Minnesota foster youth and their supporters attended a hearing to implore legislators to set aside and protect their survivor and disability benefits — millions of dollars in federal funds currently fed into county coffers.
Vietnamese folklore meets Midwestern landscapes in U of M show
The concept of “home” is increasingly complex for diasporic communities in the Twin Cities. This weekend, artists explore it in motion: a performing arts collective reimagines Japanese dance at the Walker, Black women entrepreneurs open new studios in Rondo, and photographer Pao Houa Her traces Hmong American life across continents.
Judge ends asylum claims for Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, orders family’s removal
This story comes to you from MPR News through a partnership with Sahan Journal. An immigration judge has ended the asylum claims of Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, according to their Minneapolis lawyer. The 5-year-old boy from Columbia Heights received national attention after he was detained by U.S. immigration authorities along with his father.
As Operation Metro Surge disrupted learning, students were on front lines pushing back
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation. Lexi Mongeri woke up Jan. 25 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside her Champlin apartment. She watched from her window as they handcuffed her uncle and took him away. Her mother decided no one in the family would leave their home that day. Mongeri’s life changed overnight.
Federal judge pauses termination of TPS for Somali immigrants
BOSTON — A U.S. court ruling in Massachusetts Friday temporarily paused the looming termination of Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Somalia. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs’ ruling said there would be “weighty” consequences if Somalia’s TPS designation is allowed to expire Tuesday.
As SNAP cuts pinch Minnesota families, legislators weigh budget response
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation. Seventeen-year-old Central High School student M.O. remembers grocery shopping trips when her family would routinely fill their cart with food.
‘Why doesn’t Minnesota have a safe storage law?’ Teens push gun safety proposal
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation. Anushka Narielwala, Alvi Buzar Barua and Aditi Jha believe they have an idea that could help prevent the next school shooting.
‘We just want a fair trial’: How the ‘Somali rocket docket’ is upending the asylum process
The next few weeks could determine the safety of Ibrahim, a Somali asylum seeker. Ibrahim fled to the United States in 2023 after facing repeated death threats from an insurgent group. He applied for asylum, received his work permit, landed several caretaker roles and is now the father of a U.S. citizen daughter. But the timeline of his asylum case abruptly sped up this month. And he’s not alone.
After sharp drop in sales, staff shortages, Indian restaurants slowly recover from ICE surge
At the peak of Operation Metro Surge in January, Md Ikbal Hossain faced two pressure points at his Lake Street restaurant, India Kutir. Customers were staying home. Latino employees were afraid to come into work. He had to call in family members to cover shifts. “People were scared and not going out to eat,” the Bangladeshi-born chef and owner said. Business dropped 50% in January.
Judge extends reprieve for refugees targeted by Operation PARRIS
A federal judge has extended his order protecting Minnesota refugees from arrest or detention while the government reexamines their application for a green card. The ruling, issued late Friday, Feb. 27, follows a Feb. 19 hearing where lawmakers, activists and attorneys gathered in the downtown Minneapolis U.S. District Court to argue for the extension of a previously granted temporary restraining order halting a campaign of arrests that began in January.
ICE targets Somali community in St. Cloud
While the Twin Cities have become the focus of a national debate over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, tensions also have risen sharply in St. Cloud, highlighted by a pair of confrontations between ICE agents and protesters at a Somali shopping center. Federal agents have been active in St. Cloud since December but residents say they noticed an uptick beginning Jan. 8, aimed at the local Somali and Latino communities.
ICE agents detain Mounds View couple en route to ER
Back pain sent Bonfilia Sanchez Dominguez to the ER early Thursday morning, driven by her husband, Liborio Parral Ortiz. But a stop by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents turned the Mounds View couple’s trip to the hospital into a nightmare. Within 24 hours, Parral Ortiz was in ICE detention in El Paso, Texas, and Sanchez Dominguez was trapped at Mercy Hospital’s Unity Campus in Fridley, blocked by ICE agents and hospital staff from access to her bedside.
Jada Brown brings love letter to her Ojibwe roots at Fine Line
Ring in the new year with arts and music events across the Twin Cities. Highlights include a show at the Fine Line featuring Native musicians, hoop dancing and Indigenous fashion; saxophonist Karl Denson performing two jazz shows at the Dakota; and a mini-comics workshop led by a Peruvian artist at the Eastside Food Co-op. Singer-songwriter Jada Brown will perform with her live band as part of the Anishinaabe Music and Arts Celebration at the Dakota on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2025.
Floating sound bath at V3 Sports offers immersive relaxation
By day, the pool at V3 Sports in north Minneapolis is bustling with students taking swim lessons, adults training for careers in aquatics, and open swim sessions for people of all ages. But one Sunday evening a month, the big lights go off and the pool area is bathed in soft hues of pink and purple. The mood is set for a floating sound bath. The wellness practice offers a creative opportunity to rest, unplug and reset. In a recent session, 45 participants began poolside with gentle yoga movements.
New policies complicate path to citizenship for green-card holders
Federal officials have canceled a growing number of naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies in the Twin Cities in recent months, throwing the citizenship process in turmoil for many Minnesota green-card holders. It’s a pattern that is playing out nationwide, with interview and oath ceremonies cancelled at the last minute in , , Seattle, and Sacramento, among other locations. In some cases, applicants have been plucked out of line while waiting to take their citizenship oath.
Minneapolis Pan-African elder collective launches on Kwanzaa
A six-day Kwanzaa celebration will bring art, meditation and communal gatherings to the Midtown Global Market this weekend. At the Hook and Ladder Theater, Nur-D kicks off an early New Year’s countdown and Twin Cities musicians perform experimental jazz live at Berlin. Elders speak during a Kwanzaa celebration at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis on Dec. 28, 2024.
Card game teaches Asian Americans the art of the clapback
It’s a card game that tackles microaggressions Asian Americans encounter and pressures within their own communities with a snappy twist: Draw a card from the “deck of oppression” that says something like, “If you’re more feminine, you’ll get a man” or “Me love you long time, LOL” — awkward, ignorant lines a woman of Asian American heritage might hear to her dismay. How to respond in a way that might shut down clueless or racist comments?
As ICE raids target Minnesota Somalis, community hubs fall silent
Somali immigrants have overcome displacement in war and long years spent building new lives in the United States. But the fear and disruption of recent weeks feels unlike anything they have faced in their new home, many say. A campaign of immigration raids by federal agents, together with remarks by President Donald Trump that Minnesota Somalis describe as deeply offensive and alarming have left community members angry and confused.
As ICE raids target Minnesota Somalis, community hubs fall silent
Somali immigrants have overcome displacement in war and long years spent building new lives in the United States. But the fear and disruption of recent weeks feels unlike anything they have faced in their new home, many say. A campaign of immigration raids by federal agents, together with remarks by President Donald Trump that Minnesota Somalis describe as deeply offensive and alarming have left community members angry and confused.
Noise protest at Edina hotel aims to get ‘ICE out of Minnesota’
Protesters banged pots and pans, blew noisemakers, shouted through speakers and leaned on car horns outside Homewood Suites by Hilton in Edina for three hours on Thursday night. About 150 people gathered as part of an effort to disrupt the peace of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents staying at the hotel. The federal agents are in the Twin Cities as part of Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown that began on Dec.
Foster youth give, receive thanks at annual Minneapolis dinner
This story was originally published by The Imprint, a national nonprofit news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice. Sign up for The Imprint’s free newsletters here. Handwritten notes from foster youth cover the white tablecloths that adorn the Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis before Thanksgiving each year — time capsules dating back a dozen years in some cases.
Minnesota’s Hmong community celebrates New Year in St. Paul
In the Twin Cities arts scene this weekend, Hmong New Year will kick off with two days of music, dance and more than 130 vendors at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Rondo residents and community members will create personal archives through collage-making at Golden Thyme Cafe, while three Minneapolis artists are debuting new sculptures, paintings and photographs at Hair + Nails gallery.
Trump tariffs put Minnesota soybean farmers at risk
When I visited Perham, the town in northern Minnesota where I grew up, this summer, my dear high school friend, a successful farmer, took me on a tour of his 50,000 acres of “God-given blessings” in the breadbasket of America — soybeans. This bounty has, however, put him at risk since China, the largest buyer of American soybeans, threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on soybeans after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Chinese goods.
How did protesters arrive so quickly at Bro-Tex ICE raid in St. Paul?
A Nov. 18 immigration raid in St. Paul may have offered a preview of what is to come in the Twin Cities, immigrants’ advocates say. And, they add, it showed them that they’re ready to respond. That morning, protesters clashed with federal agents conducting an immigration enforcement action at St. Paul wiper manufacturer and distributor Bro-Tex. At least 14 people were arrested.
How to vote and see what’s on your ballot in the 2025 election
Election Day is less than a week away, and even though no statewide or federal races are on the ballot, plenty of key contests and referendums are hanging in the balance across the Twin Cities. Voters in Minneapolis will choose their mayor and City Council, while voters in St. Paul will also elect a mayor and vote on a key school funding referendum. Here’s all you need to know to get ready to vote.
Minnesota celebrates Diwali with food, dancing and positivity
The sharp rap of Dhol Tasha drums echoed across the room Saturday as hundreds gathered to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, at a giant Woodbury sports complex. Since 2011, the Hindu Society of Minnesota has hosted the daylong event, which draws as many as a thousand people each year.
Minnesota Palestinians cautiously optimistic that ceasefire will hold
Taher Herzallah’s family members in Gaza are moving back to Gaza City after having left during the latest wave of forced displacement in the strip. Herzallah, who’s the director of outreach and grassroots organizing at American Muslims for Palestine, said that he’s relieved that “the bombs are not dropping with such barbaric frequency,” and that his family can return home.
Parades kick off month of celebrations of Latino culture in Minn.
At St. Paul’s Mexican Independence Day celebration on Saturday, Sept. 13, the focus was youth athletics. The annual event, organized by the West Side Boosters, included youth football matches and young athletes marching in the annual parade along with a line of the club’s cheerleading squad. Organizers also took a moment to honor Don Luna, a longtime community and club leader.
After shooting, Mpls. landlord says homeless camp will reopen
Minneapolis developer Hamoudi Sabri said he will reopen the homeless encampment on his Lake Street property despite a Monday night shootout that left eight people injured. “As soon as these guys go and are done with this investigation, we’re going right in,” Sabri told Sahan Journal on Tuesday. “This is the beauty of this fight.
Theater Mu stages its first Muslim-centered play
The traditions of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) take center stage this weekend in theater, galleries and a music festival. Theater Mu premieres a play following two Muslim women from childhood to adulthood as they navigate faith and queerness. The Selby Avenue JazzFest returns with live music, food trucks and family-friendly art activities.
Walz to call special session on gun laws after Mpls. school shooting
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz plans to call a special legislative session to consider tougher gun laws following a shooting last week at a Catholic school in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 21 people injured. The Democrat told reporters Tuesday, after welcoming children back to a public school in the Minneapolis suburb of Eagan, that he’ll be making calls to lawmakers and working on a plan over the next couple of days.
Play with all-Somali cast debuts at Minnesota Fringe Festival
What happens when the eldest daughter in a Somali household decides to leave home for the first time? That question takes center stage this weekend at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, where a new play featuring an all-Somali cast explores family and identity. Meanwhile, Open Streets returns to northeast Minneapolis for a day of music and community celebration, and two new exhibits in St. Paul spotlight the experiences of Southeast Asian artists.
Mpls. kicks off Black Business Week at George Floyd Square
The crowd was more of a trickle than a flood at the kickoff to Black Business Week at George Floyd Square on Thursday. But those who attended had a range of activities to choose from, including an art crawl, a guided tour of the neighborhood, kid-friendly games, local vendors and a panel where entrepreneurs discussed their vision for the neighborhood.
Minnesota Salsa Fiesta highlights Afro-Cuban rhythms
In Minneapolis this weekend, stories from Gaza, Ghana, Ecuador and Ethiopia will be featured at the “We Outside Film Fest.” On the North Side, a block party reimagines people-first streets along the Olson Memorial Highway, and over at the Mill City Museum, Afro-Cuban artists heat up the Mississippi Riverfront in a festive celebration.
Afro-Indigenous writer Marique Moss holds book launch in St. Paul
In St. Paul this weekend, a book launch celebrates Afro-Indigenous poetry, a gallery show brings together Black artists experimenting with form and texture, and installations by a young Hmong American artist explores belonging across borders and generations. In her debut poetry memoir “Sweetgrass and Soul Food,” Minneapolis-based writer and educator Marique B.
Sahan Journal wins six awards from Minnesota SPJ
Sahan Journal education reporter Becky Dernbach and data reporter Cynthia Tu have received a top Minnesota journalism award for reporting that helped expose a major loophole in the way charter schools award contracts. Their award for best use of public records was one of six Sahan staff received Thursday night at the 2025 Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists Page One Award ceremony at Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis.
Soul food, Little Mekong Market and Pride
This weekend offers a rich array of arts events in the Twin Cities: Local musicians and DJs will close out Pride Month at First Avenue. A soul food festival will bring African cuisine and live music from Obi Original and The Black Atlantics to a Minneapolis farmers market. Meanwhile, a St. Paul market will mark 50 years of Southeast Asian communities in Minnesota with art installations and street food.
Suldaan Seeraar joins Somali stars of earlier era for St. Paul show
As Minnesota’s Somali community celebrates Independence Week this year, a musical and dance showcase will bring a cross-generational group of artists together at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. Headlined by international recording artist Suldaan Seeraar, “Star of Unity: A Night of Somali Dance and Live Music” will also feature Abdiwahab Cantar Naji, a popular singer and musician from the 1980s, and the Somali Museum Dance Troupe.
Trump travel ban disrupts business trips for Minnesota immigrants
Art dealer Martin Akinseye travels to Africa at least four times each year to meet with artisans and buy art at fairs and festivals. He has a trip planned to Ghana and Liberia in September. Like several other immigrant business owners at Midtown Global Market, a bustlinginternational marketplace on Lake Street, Akinseye depends on these trips for his Simba Craftware store that sells goods from 30 different countries.
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