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Asylum seekers from Ecuador, who came Minnesota for better lives, struggle to find work

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Asylum seekers from Ecuador, who came Minnesota for better lives, struggle to find work


MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is home to more than half a million immigrants. Census data shows most of them came here from Mexico and Somalia. More recently though, the state is seeing hundreds of people fleeing Ecuador and seeking asylum in Minnesota.

For hours, people hold out their thumbs and swarm to any car that pulls over. They’re from Ecuador, new to Minneapolis, and looking for work — day jobs like moving, cleaning or construction. The competition is insane.

“Like everybody else here, when a car stops and try to pick up a guy, we all run and try to get there first and get picked, but that doesn’t happen all the time. The last time I had a job here, was more than a month ago,” one man said.

A section of Lake Street near the old Kmart has become a symbol of what experts say is an overwhelmed immigration system. Many of the people WCCO spoke to have fled danger in Ecuador and are seeking asylum here — a legal process that would allow them to get a work permit. But Minnesota’s courts have nearly 13,000 cases in the backlog.

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People swarm cars looking for work — day jobs like moving, cleaning or construction. 

WCCO


A woman named Alejandra told WCCO her court date is scheduled for February 2025. In the meantime, Alejandra, who was a nurse in Ecuador, comes here, always thinking of her family back home.

“Every afternoon, I make a video call with my 8-year-old son to help him with his homework, find out how his day went, and bring joy to my day,” she said. “I immigrated to the United States to have a better life for me and my family, but I haven’t been able to find something.”

MORE NEWS: Alito extends order barring Texas from detaining migrants under SB4 immigration law for now

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Nearly 2,000 Ecuadorians have immigration cases pending in Minnesota. David Wilson helps who he can as an attorney, but he says there are no easy solutions.

“There’s not enough judges. There’s not enough asylum officers. There’s not enough government people to process the requests, and so it leaves people in limbo, wondering what to do and how to feed themselves and their children while waiting,” Wilson said.

WCCO was told jobs typically pay $15 an hour but on the rare occasions they even get one, it doesn’t always go well.

“Yesterday, a contractor stopped by, saying he wanted some people to work and he had a few guys in his truck, but someone said that he made him work for a week and didn’t give him his check for $1,200,” one man said.

Many organizations help where they can.

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“They’re out here trying to get a job, it’s like, how do we help them keep the strength and keep them out here wanting to work,” said Chris Bellanger with the nonprofit Involve MN.

Ultimately, Wilson says it’s going to take political willpower to improve the system. One suggestion he has is to fund more staffing to get through the backlog.

“It’s so politically volatile, but people forget they’re just real lives. There are people running from real danger,” Wilson said.

An immigration attorney told WCCO that being hired off the street for a day is legally similar to paying a friend to help you move. If the work becomes more consistent, then it could become a legal problem for both the immigrant and the employer.

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Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agency Tracker

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Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agency Tracker


UPDATE: UCLA edge defender Gabriel Murphy will be signing with the Vikings as a UDFA, per Zenitz.


UPDATE: Arkansas cornerback Dwight McGlothern is signing with the Vikings, per Zenitz.

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UPDATE: Arizona defensive lineman Tyler Manoa is on his way to Minnesota, per Matt Zenitz of 24/7 Sports


UPDATE: It appears that Air Force linebacker Bo Richter is the first UDFA in the books for the Vikings!

We’ll keep putting updates at the top of the piece so you won’t have to scroll too far. Original story below the line here.


Barring what would be a really weird trade back into the selection meeting, the 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books for the Minnesota Vikings, but things aren’t completely over yet! The end of the Draft means the end of the undrafted free agent signing frenzy and the opportunity for our favorite football team to fill out their 90-man roster.

With the players they drafted, the Vikings have room on their roster for 17 new undrafted free agents, so the rumors will likely be flying fast and furious with names that will be connected to the purple.

Over the years, the Vikings have had a lot of significant undrafted free agents, including a Pro Football Hall of Famer in John Randle. We’ve also seen players like Adam Thielen, Marcus Sherels, and, most recently, Ivan Pace Jr. go from undrafted to playing a big-time role with the Vikings.

An important thing to keep in mind is the fact that the undrafted free agency signings will not be official until tomorrow. Right now, these are all just rumors and speculation until the Vikings release their official UDFA list tomorrow.

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We’ll do our best to keep things updated here with the latest undrafted free agent news, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to all of you who have gotten your 2024 NFL Draft news this year right here at The Daily Norseman!

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.





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Minnesota Republican congressional candidates seek endorsements at Saturday conventions

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Minnesota Republican congressional candidates seek endorsements at Saturday conventions


Republican activists are gathering across Minnesota on Saturday to throw their backing behind candidates to compete in congressional races from western Minnesota to the Twin Cities suburbs.

Four Republicans are seeking the party’s endorsement in the suburban Third District, which is open after DFL U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. In Minnesota’s competitive Second District, which covers suburbs and rural areas south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Republicans Tayler Rahm and Joe Teirab are both vying for the backing of activists to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Angie Craig.

Rahm, a conservative attorney from Burnsville who has never run for office before, is positioning himself as the outsider candidate with backing from grassroots activists. He’s up against former prosecutor Joe Teirab, who has said he plans to move on to the August primary election regardless of the results of Saturday’s endorsing convention.

Teirab has dramatically outraised Rahm so far this cycle. He recently reported ending March with $662,000 in the bank, while Rahm has $59,500 in cash.

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The outcome of the race is critical for Republicans, who are fighting this fall to maintain their narrow control of the U.S. House. The Second District, represented since 2018 by Craig, is one of a few remaining swing districts in the country that offer them a chance for a pick up. Some Republicans are worried a potential primary battle will give them a disadvantage in the race, while others have criticized the endorsing process for choosing candidates who don’t have broad appeal.

In western Minnesota, incumbent U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach and challenger Steve Boyd are vying for the Republican endorsement. Both candidates have signaled they plan to continue running through the August primary election, regardless of who wins the party’s endorsement at Saturday’s convention.

“Despite having every opportunity to respect our party’s process, our traditions, and the opinions of grassroots delegates, Steve Boyd is defying the endorsement and forcing a primary election,” Norann Dillon, executive director of Fischbach’s congressional campaign, wrote in a recent email.

The 38-year-old Boyd is a political outsider, a small business owner from Kensington who’s never held public office. He said the Seventh Congressional District would be better served by a new voice, arguing Fischbach, a former state senator for more than two decades, is a political insider.

“My goal would be to do politics a different way and run in a manner that engages more people in the process. Don’t just work the numbers so we win. Stand on principle,” Boyd recently told the Star Tribune. He added that he would be willing to shut down the government to fix the border crisis.

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Fischbach has one of the most conservative voting records in Congress and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Yet, many Trump-aligned conservative activists in the district are backing Boyd over Fischbach.

The Seventh District’s endorsing convention is expected to be contentious. Some conservative activists from Otter Tail County who are trying to become delegates could disrupt the convention. Most of those activists support Boyd and could make the endorsing race more competitive if they’re seated as delegates.



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Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday

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Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday


After a busy first night of the 2024 NFL Draft saw the Vikings land J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, Day 2 came and went without Minnesota making any picks. Their second-rounder was traded in March in a deal for the 23rd pick, and their third-rounder was moved a couple years ago in the T.J. Hockenson deal.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will be back in action for Day 3 on Saturday, with five picks at their disposal and plenty of needs to address. As is always the case, there’s still plenty of talent available after the first three rounds. Here’s a quick preview of an important day for the Vikings, which begins at 11 a.m. CT.

Vikings 2024 draft picks

* Round 1, Pick 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
* Round 1, Pick 17: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
* Round 4, Pick 108
* Round 6, Pick 177
* Round 6, Pick 203
* Round 7, Pick 230
* Round 7, Pick 232

Day 3 needs

Defensive tackle: Minnesota has one of the five worst DT rooms in the NFL. Harrison Phillips is a solid nose tackle, but Jonathan Bullard is a replacement-level player who starts for the Vikings and the pressure-creating options are Jerry Tillery and Jaquelin Roy. This is a glaring need.

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Cornerback: The Vikings’ starting corners are in place with Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin, and Mekhi Blackmon, but they could really use another young piece at that position with a chance to develop into a contributor. 2022 draft picks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have not panned out.

Left guard: Dalton Risner remains a free agent, so the Vikings’ current projected starter at LG is Blake Brandel, who has been a backup throughout his career. They need competition at that spot.

Wide receiver: You can never have too many wide receivers. The Vikings let K.J. Osborn walk in free agency, so it would be helpful if they could grab someone who can enter the depth mix with Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor.

Kicker: The Vikings need to add a kicker to compete with John Parker Romo, who they signed from the XFL. That could be an option in the seventh round or undrafted free agency.

Others: On defense, linebacker and safety are both options where the Vikings could add someone with versatility and special teams value. They could also take another edge rusher. On offense, don’t rule out tight end or running back. Basically the only position that would be surprising is quarterback.

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Potential targets with pick 108

If the Vikings don’t trade down (which feels like a real possibility), they’ll have the eighth pick of the fourth round on Saturday morning, and then nothing until the first pick of the sixth round. These players are among those who would make sense at 108:

That’s obviously just a small portion of the players who could be under consideration for the Vikings in the fourth round. Keep an eye on Jackson and Baker, who took top-30 visits to Minnesota recently.

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Late-round names to know

The following players visited the Vikings during the pre-draft process and could be options in the 6th or 7th round (or as UDFAs).

* LSU IOL Charles Turner III
* Oregon DT Taki Taimani
* Tennessee TE McCallan Castles
* UNC OT Spencer Rolland
* UNI DT Khristian Boyd
* Washington RB Dillon Johnson
* Iowa TE Erick All
* USF OT Donovan Jennings
* CFL CB Qwan’tez Stiggers
* Ohio State S Josh Proctor
* Memphis RB Blake Watson
* UTSA WR Joshua Cephus
* TCU S Millard Bradford

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long.

Follow Will Ragatz on X/Twitter





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