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Trump Escalates Attacks on Somali Americans as ICE Activity Reported in Twin Cities

Local officials moved to shield residents as reported ICE operations in Minneapolis–St. Paul coincided with new federal pauses on immigration processing for Somalia.

Trump calls Somali immigrants “garbage” and tells Rep. Ilhan Omar to “go back” (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
A man walks through the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, a hub for Somali American residents, amid reports of a planned federal operation targeting Somali immigrants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 2, 2025.
Somali women shop at Karmel Mall, a Somali mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A woman and a child hold hands as they walk down a street in the predominantly Somali neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis, on May 12, 2022.

Overview

  • For a second day, President Trump disparaged Somali immigrants and singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar, calling Somalis “garbage” and saying they had “destroyed” Minnesota and the country.
  • Multiple outlets reported a targeted federal enforcement effort in the Twin Cities focused on immigration violations involving Somali residents, with community groups logging dozens of encounters with officers in streets, cars and homes.
  • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued an executive order barring the use of city-owned lots and garages to stage immigration operations, as the city promoted legal clinics and rights trainings for residents.
  • The administration halted asylum decisions after last week’s D.C. shooting and paused immigration applications for people from 19 countries that include Somalia, with DHS pointing to fraud and public safety concerns.
  • Minnesota hosts roughly 80,000–84,000 people of Somali descent, most of whom are U.S. citizens or lawful residents, while officials and advocates dispute sweeping claims that fraud cases justify broad targeting of the community.