US Immigration Authorities Launch Crackdown on Somali Immigrants in Minnesota Amid Trump's Criticism
Federal immigration authorities have launched a surge of enhanced operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, targeting individuals with deportation orders from Somalia - a country that President Donald Trump has repeatedly vilified and demonized.
The operation, which is expected to target individuals from the Twin Cities region with deportation orders, comes as Trump continues to castigate Minnesota's large Somali immigrant community, labeling them "garbage" and claiming they contribute nothing to society. The president's harsh rhetoric has sparked widespread condemnation from Democratic officials and members of the Somali community.
In recent days, the Trump administration has halted all immigration cases for people from Somalia and 18 other nations on its travel ban, and ordered a reexamination of all green cards issued to immigrants from those countries. Last month, Trump announced that he was ending a deportation protection program called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, citing unfounded claims about "Somali gangs terrorizing the people." The TPS program is set to expire in March 2026.
The move has been met with fierce opposition from Democratic officials and members of the Somali community, who argue that Trump's statements are vile, racist lies and slander towards Minnesotans. Hamse Warfa, a Somali-born entrepreneur and proud American citizen, told CBS News Minnesota, "I am not garbage... I'm a proud American citizen."
Minnesota has one of the country's largest Somali populations, with over 76,000 people of Somali descent statewide - representing just over 1% of the state's population. Many Somalis were resettled in the US after fleeing civil war in their home country or after experiencing instability, threats of insurgency, and poverty.
The impact of Trump's plans on Somali immigrants is expected to be limited, as most have already obtained citizenship through various means. Just over 700 immigrants from Somalia had been approved for TPS as of March this year, according to federal government data. The vast majority of Somali Minnesotans are American citizens, with 52% born in the US and 42% naturalized.
The surge by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked concerns about the potential consequences for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, who have built a thriving community over decades. The state's nonprofits and local organizations have worked tirelessly to support refugees, Somali Americans, and others fleeing conflict and persecution around the world.
Federal immigration authorities have launched a surge of enhanced operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, targeting individuals with deportation orders from Somalia - a country that President Donald Trump has repeatedly vilified and demonized.
The operation, which is expected to target individuals from the Twin Cities region with deportation orders, comes as Trump continues to castigate Minnesota's large Somali immigrant community, labeling them "garbage" and claiming they contribute nothing to society. The president's harsh rhetoric has sparked widespread condemnation from Democratic officials and members of the Somali community.
In recent days, the Trump administration has halted all immigration cases for people from Somalia and 18 other nations on its travel ban, and ordered a reexamination of all green cards issued to immigrants from those countries. Last month, Trump announced that he was ending a deportation protection program called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, citing unfounded claims about "Somali gangs terrorizing the people." The TPS program is set to expire in March 2026.
The move has been met with fierce opposition from Democratic officials and members of the Somali community, who argue that Trump's statements are vile, racist lies and slander towards Minnesotans. Hamse Warfa, a Somali-born entrepreneur and proud American citizen, told CBS News Minnesota, "I am not garbage... I'm a proud American citizen."
Minnesota has one of the country's largest Somali populations, with over 76,000 people of Somali descent statewide - representing just over 1% of the state's population. Many Somalis were resettled in the US after fleeing civil war in their home country or after experiencing instability, threats of insurgency, and poverty.
The impact of Trump's plans on Somali immigrants is expected to be limited, as most have already obtained citizenship through various means. Just over 700 immigrants from Somalia had been approved for TPS as of March this year, according to federal government data. The vast majority of Somali Minnesotans are American citizens, with 52% born in the US and 42% naturalized.
The surge by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked concerns about the potential consequences for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, who have built a thriving community over decades. The state's nonprofits and local organizations have worked tirelessly to support refugees, Somali Americans, and others fleeing conflict and persecution around the world.
I'm literally shook by this news! Like, what's next? Targeting Mexican immigrants because Trump doesn't like tacos 
️?! 
No seriously though, this is so messed up. The Somali community in Minnesota has been living there for decades and have built a thriving community. They're not "garbage" they're good people who deserve respect! 
I'm also super worried about the impact of this on the state's economy and social fabric. Like, who's gonna fill all those jobs? 
The Somali community has been working hard to build a life here and now it's being threatened by Trump's hate speech 
. We need to speak out against this and show love and support for our Somali brothers and sisters! 
. These Somali immigrants have built a new life in Minnesota and are contributing to the economy and society in so many ways 
. And what really gets me is that he's making these sweeping generalizations without even trying to understand the issues they're facing 
. I mean, who hasn't had to deal with poverty or civil war? It's not like they're just some random bunch of people from Somalia, they're human beings too! And what about all the Somalis who have become naturalized citizens and are actively participating in their communities? Don't they deserve the same respect and dignity as anyone else? 
️
They've already built a community here and contributed so much to the state. It's not like they're all going around causing trouble or something... 76k people of Somali descent, that's a huge community! 
they're already facing so much stress just living here as immigrants, and now this Trump guy is stirring up drama? It's not fair that he's calling them "garbage"... like, what even is that?! 
We should be welcoming people from all over the world with open arms, not sending them back because of some guy's beef with Somalia 
it's not just about politics, it's about people's lives... 76k people of somali descent in minnesota, that's a whole community worth protecting 
but what does it even mean to be an american citizen? is it just about having a piece of paper or is it about treating each other with kindness and respect? 
. Targeting Somali immigrants with deportation orders based on some presidential tweetstorm? That's not governance, that's harassment 
.
. ppl are getting hurt by this rhetoric 
. hope congress can do something about it 
.
, targeting innocent people just because of their nationality 
, these Somali immigrants have built a community here, contributed to the economy and paid taxes too 
, I'm all for enforcing laws but this is just xenophobia plain and simple 
but hamse warfa's response to him was so fire 
"i'm a proud american citizen" i love that he's standing up for himself and his community 
the tps program is supposed to protect people from conflict and persecution, not kick them out 
it's like trump wants to erase the fact that somalis have been living in minnesota for decades and contributing to the community 
they're just trying to live their lives and start new families, why can't they be treated with dignity and respect 
And what's with the Trump administration trying to turn Somalis into 'garbage'? That's not only hurtful but also completely false. The Somali community in Minnesota has been contributing so much to this country and it's time we recognized that. 76,000 people shouldn't be forced to live in fear of deportation just because of their country of origin. Can't we focus on building a more inclusive society instead of tearing people down? 
. Trump's rhetoric is totally not cool, it's like he's demonizing an entire community without knowing the stories behind each person 
. Can't we just accept ppl from different countries with open arms 
? #JusticeForSomaliImmigrants #NoToRacism #AcceptanceIsKey
& yeah i can relate to hamse warfa's story his fam came from somalia too & they worked so hard to make it in america 
the community here in minneapolis has been buildin a life for yrs and now trumps admin is threatening that 
. They're not "garbage" or contributing nothing to society! Most have already got citizenship and this crackdown won't change that 
. We should be welcoming people with open arms, not pushing them away