ICE Intensifies Deportation Operations in Minnesota’s Somali Community amidst Trump’s Rhetoric
A surge in immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is targeting individuals with deportation orders, notably within the region’s large Somali immigrant population, as President Trump escalates his criticism of the community. The increased enforcement efforts, which began this week, come as the governance simultaneously restricts immigration from Somalia and re-examines green cards issued to immigrants from countries subject to a travel ban.
On Monday, characterizing those detained as “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” The agency reported that six of those arrested were from Mexico, five were from Somalia, and one was from El Salvador, with slightly more than half having prior criminal convictions.
This crackdown coincides with increasingly harsh rhetoric from President Trump regarding Minnesota’s Somali community. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the president reportedly referred to people from Somalia as “garbage” and asserted they “contribute nothing” to the contry, stating, “I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you. Their country’s no good for a reason. Their country stinks.”
The administration has recently halted all immigration cases,including citizenship ceremonies,for individuals from Somalia and 18 other nations subject to a travel ban. Furthermore, a reexamination of all green cards issued to immigrants from these countries has been ordered. Last month, Mr. Trump announced his intention to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, alleging, without evidence, that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people.” The TPS program for Somalia is currently set to expire in March 2026, though the Department of Homeland Security has yet to formally announce its termination.
Adding to the pressure, Mr. trump has highlighted a long-standing public assistance fraud scandal in Minnesota,involving numerous defendants – many of Somali descent – accused of defrauding hundreds of millions of dollars from social programs. The president has blamed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the schemes and claimed Somali immigrants have “ripped off that state.”
These actions and statements have drawn strong condemnation from Democratic officials and members of the somali community. Governor Walz denounced Mr. Trump’s remarks on Thursday as “vile, racist lies and slander towards our fellow minnesotans.” Hamse Warfa, a Somali-born entrepreneur and American citizen residing in the Minneapolis area, powerfully stated, “I am not garbage. I’m a proud American citizen.”
Minnesota is home to one of the largest Somali populations in the United States,with approximately 76,000 people of Somali descent representing just over 1% of the state’s population as of 2024,according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The community’s growth stems from the civil war in Somalia in the early 1990s, which prompted many to flee the country’s ongoing instability, insurgency threats, and poverty. Many Somali refugees initially resettled elsewhere in the U.S. before being drawn to Minnesota by job opportunities, safety, strong schools, and a robust network of refugee assistance nonprofits, as noted by Somali American and Macalester College professor Ahmed samatar in 2019.
The vast majority of somali Minnesotans are now U.S.citizens, with 52% born in the U.S. and another 42% naturalized citizens. Only a small percentage – just over 4,000, or more than 5% – do not currently hold U.S. citizenship, according to Census Bureau figures.
Data from the Deportation Data Project reveals that ICE made 117 arrests of individuals with Somali citizenship nationwide from the start of Mr. Trump’s second term in January through October 15, with 28 of those arrests occurring in Minnesota. The agency conducted a total of 1,694 arrests in Minnesota during the same period, representing approximately 1% of nationwide arrests.
The potential impact of Mr. Trump’s plan to end TPS for Somali immigrants is limited,with just over 700 Somali immigrants approved for the program as of March. Of those, approximately 430 TPS holders reside in Minnesota, according to the Immigrant Law Center’s 2023 data.
The escalating actions and rhetoric raise concerns about the future of the Somali community in Minnesota and the broader implications for immigration policy under the current administration.
