“Pro-Immigrant” Message Wins Fans and Raises Funds at New Hampshire Coffee Shop

A Day of Protest

It was January 30, 2026, a day on which activists throughout the country had called for work stoppages, school walkouts, and shopping boycotts in protest of violence and rights violations by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE).  

“We felt like we wanted to do something, but at the same time—I think a lot of small businesses felt this way—we didn’t want to close our doors because we have a lot of hourly employees and a lot of customers who rely on them,” says MacKenzie Logan, a Manchester, New Hampshire native who founded Flamingos Coffee Bar five years ago. “An alternative was to find a local organization that helps immigrant communities.” 

On their social media accounts, under the phrase “Disgustingly Pro-Immigrant” across a flamingo-pink background, the café announced that all of its proceeds for the day at both of its locations in Exeter and Hampton would be donated to the International Institute of New England.

Coffee and a Cause

MacKenzie hadn’t been familiar with IINE, but when she found the organization through some internet research, she was impressed. “I thought it was a really worthy cause, and I thought supporting it could be a cool way to shift the narrative that day.” 

Why the phrase “Disgustingly Pro-Immigrant”? Turns out it was a riff on another slogan that had helped establish the café’s identity. 

“It started from a 2-star Yelp review someone left us one day, saying that our café made them feel ‘uncomfortable as a man,’ that we were ‘disgustingly pro-women,’ and it was a ‘terrible business model.’ We decided to make t-shirts out of that because we loved the phrase ‘disgustingly pro-women.’ Then it sort of snowballed into this, like, movement. It’s been really cool to watch that grow.” 

When she posted about the review on Instagram, she got a groundswell of support. The “disgustingly pro-women” shirts she had made sold well and seemed to attract new customers. She donated 20% of the proceeds from the t-shirts to a local charity that helps women in need in her community. This venture has become important to MacKenzie and to the identity of her business. When the January 30 day of action came around, she saw an opportunity to champion another cause about which she feels strongly.

“I think just seeing everything that’s happening in the country—it’s hard to watch, and then on a personal level, my husband is an immigrant, and I’ve seen the difficulties that he’s faced just getting a Green Card. He’s very fortunate to be sponsored by a local company and to have that opportunity. I’m aware of how hard it can be for some people to get access to a pathway to citizenship—especially for people who need it for their well-being or because they’re fleeing an atrocious situation at home. I love that your organization is able to help people like that.” 

The Benefits of Speaking Out

MacKenzie says that Flamingos’ stand for immigrants’ rights on January 30 fit into the pattern of their previous activism. 

“I’m always scared that we’re going to alienate people, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. When you do make a stand like that, I’ve seen a lot of people get behind it and support you rather than demonize you for it. It was really cool to see that happen again with the pro-immigrant post that we did. A lot of people were really happy that we did that and came into support, which was cool.” 

The café raised about $1,000 for IINE, and attracted some new customers, including IINE Community Services Manager Zazie Sawyer (pictured right) and other members of IINE’s staff who are definitely keeping an eye on Flamingo’s Instagram and eager to support the café, along with their coffee habits.  

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IINE depends on community support to serve refugees and immigrants in New England. There are many ways to get involved as a donor, volunteer, or advocate—including hosting your own fundraiser.