Minneapolis Leaders Reject Claims of Imminent Federal Raids on Somali Community

Officials in Minneapolis said on Tuesday they had no knowledge of any imminent federal immigration raids targeting the city’s Somali community, despite a New York Times report suggesting that more than 100 federal agents were preparing to carry out operations in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul. Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed the reports but vowed that, regardless of federal actions, the Somali community would receive full support from local authorities. Frey also reiterated that local police would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

The heightened concern follows a series of inflammatory remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who in recent days has escalated his attacks on Somali immigrants, labeling them “garbage” and claiming, without evidence, that Somali gangs were wreaking havoc in Minnesota. Trump’s comments came after last week’s deadly shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington, an incident involving an Afghan national. Frey condemned the president’s statements, calling the blanket characterization of Somalis “ridiculous” and emphasizing that the vast majority of Somalis in Minnesota are American citizens and longstanding contributors to the region’s economic and cultural landscape.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter also condemned Trump’s rhetoric, calling it “racist” and “xenophobic,” and stressing that the president’s remarks targeted not just immigrants but Somali-Americans. With more than 80,000 Somalis residing in Minnesota—most in the Twin Cities—local leaders warned that inflammatory language fuels fear and division. Federal officials did not confirm whether raids were imminent, saying only that immigration laws are enforced nationwide on a daily basis.

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