Somali families across the United States are facing growing fear and uncertainty as federal authorities prepare a large immigration enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota’s Somali community.
According to reports, the move comes amid a new wave of harsh rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, who again criticized Somali immigrants during a televised cabinet meeting, saying he did not want them in the country and suggesting they should “go back to where they came from.”
Trump’s remarks, which included calling Somalia “barely a country” and claiming it lacked structure, sparked widespread condemnation.
Minnesota officials warned that any large-scale immigration sweep could easily ensnare American citizens who simply appear Somali.
The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, are home to about 80,000 Somali residents, the largest Somali community in the U.S., with the vast majority holding citizenship.
The planned operation, first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by U.S. partner CBS News, is expected to target hundreds of undocumented individuals.
Although the Department of Homeland Security declined to discuss the details, officials insisted that immigration enforcement is based strictly on legal status, not ethnicity.
Nevertheless, critics argue that the timing and tone of federal actions point to a pattern of politically driven targeting.
Somalia’s prime minister dismissed Trump’s comments as unworthy of attention, encouraging Somalis not to give weight to rhetoric meant to demean their country or people. In Minnesota, the response was far stronger. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey warned that such an operation would almost certainly violate due process and create widespread panic within a community that has lived under heightened scrutiny for years.
Trump also took aim at Representative Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to Congress and a long-time critic of his policies. He said he believed she “hates everybody” and called her incompetent. Omar responded sharply on social media, describing Trump’s fixation on her as “creepy” and reaffirming that her community would not be intimidated: “We are here to stay.”
The intensifying tension comes as part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, which escalated after a recent shooting in Washington, DC.
Though the incident involved an Afghan suspect and had no connection to Somali immigrants, the administration moved forward with plans to further restrict protections previously granted to Somali nationals.
As enforcement actions loom, Somali familiesm, citizens and non-citizens alike, are bracing for the impact. Community leaders warn that anxiety is running high, and many fear the operation could deepen mistrust between immigrant communities and federal authorities.
