Federal immigration authorities are reportedly deploying additional agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area this week, with a focus on individuals from the Somali community who have outstanding deportation orders. The operation, described as involving specialized teams, coincides with a series of inflammatory statements from the White House directed at Somali immigrants.
During a recent meeting, the President launched into a tirade against Somalia and its people, using derogatory language to describe both the nation and its immigrants. He asserted that such individuals contribute nothing and should be returned to their country of origin, making sweeping generalizations about their character. The comments also singled out a Somali-American member of Congress, employing the same offensive terminology.
This rhetoric aligns with a broader administrative narrative. Officials have recently pointed to fraud cases in Minnesota, involving allegations of improper benefit claims by some Somali residents over several years, to justify heightened scrutiny. Furthermore, the Treasury Department has announced it will examine unverified claims, circulated by partisan media, that public funds in the state could be linked to a foreign militant group.
Local leaders in Minneapolis held a press conference to address what they called credible reports of the impending enforcement action. The city’s mayor reaffirmed unwavering support for the Somali community, emphasizing that local police do not participate in federal immigration operations and are not given prior notice of such activities. He warned that broad enforcement tactics risk violating due process and could lead to the detention of U.S. citizens based solely on their appearance.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali diaspora in the United States, with the vast majority being either American citizens or lawful permanent residents. The mayor stressed that targeting an entire community undermines legal protections and will inevitably result in errors.