The United States’ largest concentration of Somali immigrants faces targeted federal immigration enforcement operations. Minnesota is home to approximately 80,000 Somali residents, making it the center of Somali American life, and federal authorities are now deploying substantial resources for enforcement actions specifically in this community.
Immigration agencies are mobilizing approximately 100 agents from locations across the country for coordinated operations in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area. These strike teams would focus primarily on executing deportation orders against Somali nationals, concentrating unprecedented enforcement resources on one ethnic community.
Presidential rhetoric has specifically targeted this population, with the administration’s leader making inflammatory statements during a cabinet meeting. The remarks characterized Somali immigrants in derogatory terms, expressed desires for their removal from America, and personally attacked a congressional representative who is part of the Somali American community.
The enforcement operations are being justified through references to fraud prosecutions involving several dozen individuals and Treasury investigations into alleged terrorist financing. However, these cases represent a tiny fraction of the community, with the vast majority of Somali residents being American citizens or legal residents.
Minneapolis city officials have rallied to defend what they describe as an integral part of their community. Local leaders emphasized the contributions of Somali residents, warned that enforcement operations would inevitably harm American citizens, and clarified that city police maintain independence from federal immigration enforcement.