The administration previously indicated it might revoke temporary protected status for Somalis residing in Minnesota, characterizing the state as a hub for fraudulent financial activity. This threat represents one component of a broader pattern of actions and rhetoric targeting the Somali community specifically.
Current plans involve mobilizing approximately 100 federal immigration agents for enforcement operations in the Minneapolis-St Paul area, where most of Minnesota’s 80,000 Somali residents live. These coordinated actions would focus primarily on executing deportation orders against Somali nationals, representing a significant concentration of enforcement resources.
Presidential statements have amplified hostile rhetoric about Somali immigrants, with the nation’s leader using official government proceedings to express desires for their removal from America. The remarks characterized Somalis in derogatory terms and questioned their contributions to American society while personally attacking a congressional representative of Somali heritage.
Criminal cases involving benefit fraud by several dozen Somali individuals have been leveraged politically to justify broader enforcement measures. Additionally, Treasury officials announced investigations into alleged terrorist financing based on reporting from partisan news sources, further expanding the scope of federal actions targeting the community.
Minneapolis officials have organized public responses to defend their Somali constituents, emphasizing that the overwhelming majority are American citizens or legal residents. City leaders warned that enforcement based on Somali appearance would result in constitutional violations, reaffirmed that local police do not cooperate with immigration enforcement, and declared unwavering support for the community.
