Join Us
Community Partner Info Session at 12 pm CST on Friday, May 15, 2026. Email MNTruthCouncil@advrights.org for more details.
Join Us
Community Partner Info Session at 12 pm CST on Friday, May 15, 2026. Email MNTruthCouncil@advrights.org for more details.
“Minnesotans know what happened in their communities, but too many stories have yet to be heard, documented, and shared. For months, families lived in fear, children were separated from their parents, and our neighbors were subjected to racial profiling and unlawful detentions. At the same time, people showed up for one another with compassion, courage, and resilience. This council will make sure the full truth is told.” - Governor Walz
The Minnesota Truth Council is an independent, non-partisan body that will create a historical record of survivor and witness experiences and produce a report with recommendations for legislative and policy reform. The Advocates for Human Rights is the implementing partner of the Minnesota Truth Council.
The Council will document:
- The human rights violations resulting from the surge, including physical, psychological, familial, economic, and civic harm; and
- How Minnesotans showed up for one
another with compassion, courage, and
resilience.
- Share a story. Share your individual experience. The Council will use these stories as their primary source of information and analyze them to uncover trends, causes, and impacts of the surge.
- Organize a space. Help others share their stories by fostering community spaces for sharing stories.
- Attend a public meeting. The 15-member
Council will hold at least 4 public meetings
that will also be livestreamed.
The Council would like stories from anyone who experienced harm, witnessed what happened, or was part of the community response.
- Immigrants
- Refugees
- U.S. citizens
- Journalists
- Legal observers
- Any community member
Participation is voluntary. People can choose to share stories anonymously. You do not need to be currently in Minnesota to participate.
This is not a court. The Council will have no power to prosecute, convict, or impose penalties, or provide compensation.
Friday, March 27, 2026
In Brief
UN Experts Welcome Minnesota Truth-Seeking Entity and Urge Nation-Wide Investigations
The Advocates for Human Rights has spent decades standing alongside survivors of human rights violations, documenting their experiences, amplifying their voices, and building the historical record that accountability requires.
The Advocates documented testimony of victims of the Khmer Rouge, provided on-the-ground support for transitional justice processes in Peru and Sierra Leone, and served as the operational partner of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work in the diaspora.
