3 drivers bring woman and her mom, detained by ICE, back to Minnesota from Texas

Since Operation Metro Surge started, there have been many stories of Minnesotans stepping up to help their neighbors. A Twin Cities man told WCCO what drove him to go all the way to Texas to help total strangers.

"We did it. It's what was required," a Twin Cities husband told WCCO. He didn't want to share his name because he says what he and his friends did wasn't about them.

WCCO decided to refer to him as Joe.

"It was me and two other drivers," he said. "We flew to Texas first and then drove up from there."

It was a nearly 24-hour journey to bring back a Venezuelan woman and her mom, who entered the U.S. legally as refugees in 2023. The two were detained for over a week this past winter.

"They took us to Houston handcuffed at the hands, waists and feet," the woman told the Associated Press.

"These folks did everything right. Did everything by the book," Joe said.

Driven by the sentiment, Joe, who is bilingual himself, and his friends felt like they should help when hearing about their case from a mutual friend.

He said they bought their own flights to Texas and rented a car to bring the two back to Minnesota, and that the duo weren't released with their IDs and had fears of coming back via air.

"We just mentioned, 'Hey, we're here. We're the guys you were told about. Come with us,'" Joe said.

The motorists then hit the road, rotating who was behind the wheel as they headed back up north.

"We chatted a bit. They wanted to tell their stories. We didn't want to pressure them," Joe added.

It's an experience both parties say will stick with them forever.

"What we went through is something I wouldn't wish on anyone," the woman told the Associated Press.

"These are small acts of kindness that many people do together, and they come together and accumulate to do good," Joe said.