Since December 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested around 3,400 children and adults in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to CBS News. In January 2026, two Minneapolis residents—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—were shot and killed by ICE agents. A result of the ongoing crackdown and escalating violence, massive protests continue across the city—and an adult toy store called Smitten Kitten has emerged as an unlikely community hub.
“Our neighborhood is an intersection of a lot of queer white people, artists, and an immigrant and migrant community,” says Anne Lehman, a sex educator who manages social media for Smitten Kitten. The store’s staff was inspired by the efforts of Wrecktangle Pizza, a neighboring small business focused on providing food for the city’s vulnerable residents. “Wrecktangle started doing their thing when a bunch of their staff was afraid to come to work. We were like, those people also need diapers, toilet paper, and money to pay their rent.”
The sex shop’s role as a community spot is only unlikely for the uninitiated: Smitten Kitten’s 25-year history of community outreach set the stage for its most recent efforts. Over the past two months, the small business has provided goods like food and diapers to countless immigrant neighbors, who can’t risk leaving their homes, according to Lehman. They also raised over $15,000 for Isuroon, a nonprofit helping Somali women in Minnesota. Every day, they amplify local fundraisers on Instagram, most of which focus on rent assistance and general financial aid for those directly impacted by ICE. And every day, they sell a curated selection of vibrators, cock rings, and everything in between, both online and in person.
The store’s efforts have received widespread attention, catching the eye of content creators like Jess Olivia Fox, who lives on the West Coast and felt so inspired by Smitten Kitten that she invited them to collaborate on an Instagram Reel. The Reel even includes an automated call to action. If a user comments “DONATE,” they’ll receive a Direct Message with a link to Isuroon’s donation page.
“I’ve been trying to keep up with what’s going on, so I made it a point to follow Minnesota creators to hear what’s actually happening,” says Fox. “I know a lot of us feel pretty hopeless, especially being far away. It was a shot in the dark on my end, to make a video for [Smitten Kitten]. They didn’t ask me; they didn’t know I existed.”
How does Minneapolis’s immigrant community feel about receiving aid from a sex shop? Lehman explains that no one looks at the dildos on the walls when their baby needs diapers. Plus, Smitten Kitten’s presence in the anti-ICE movement has yielded some unexpected positive outcomes. “There are people who come here for resources, and at the end of meeting their needs, they’re like, ‘Actually, I have a sex question,’” they say. “I’d be like, ‘Of course.’ They’re stuck in the house and human intimacy is so special and healing, even if it’s 10 minutes.”
Fox’s Reel for Smitten Kitten begins with her sliding toward the camera, coffee mug in hand, wearing only a bra and underwear. She arrives in frame and deadpans: “I’m pretty sure the sluts are gonna save us.”
Sure, it’s a strategic intro tailored to our bite-sized, TikTok-marred attention spans. But for Fox, who earns valuable income through OnlyFans, it’s a rallying cry full of subtext. “The witches and the atheists and the sluts and the strippers and the sex workers are the ones that are stepping up, bringing together community,” says Fox, “and making sure everyone’s involved, not just people who look like them.”
Lehman notes that “sluts” and other marginalized groups are often experts in mutual aid. “People are like, where did you learn how to do this? Trans people, marginalized people, sex workers, community is all we have. It’s interesting that people are so shocked at our humanity,” they say.
Right now, Minneapolis remains ICE’s central target, but with its commander leaving Minnesota, it’s unclear what comes next. Lehman wants small businesses across the country to prepare accordingly. They note that the people behind these establishments, often self-starting entrepreneurs, are uniquely equipped to show up for their communities. Most of all, they want those who can afford to spend $300 on a vibrator to fork over their cash where it counts.
“We’re doing the bare minimum right thing,” says Salima, a sex educator who works the floor at Smitten Kitten. “It is a sign of American culture that everyone is praising us for doing the bare minimum right thing.”