Story perspectives

Somali Community in Minnesota Reels from ICE Operations

12/20/2025

Center

Somali Community Struggles

The Somali community in Minnesota faces heightened fear and disruption as ICE conducts operations, including Operation Metro Surge.
Abdiladif Ahmed, a local business owner, reports declines in customers after ICE visits, causing financial strain.
Activist Amina Adan notes bias intersects multiple forms of hostility for the community.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has initiated congressional inquiries into racial profiling by ICE, calling for solidarity.

Right

Trump Supports Deportation

U.S. President Donald Trump backs a $165 billion package to fund DHS mass deportation efforts at AmericaFest.
DHS aims to hire 3,000 Customs officers, 3,000 Border Patrol agents, and 10,000 ICE agents to reach one million deportations annually.
Rep. Pat Harrigan proposed a bill to boost local law enforcement resources against organized crime.
Democrats led by Rep. Mike Quigley seek to limit local-federal immigration enforcement partnerships.

History

Historical Context

In 1954, the U.S. government launched Operation Wetback, deporting approximately one million Mexican immigrants amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment. This aggressive enforcement mirrored earlier deportation campaigns during the Great Depression, which targeted Mexicans for economic relief. Today, similar concerns about racial profiling and community impact persist, as activists like Rep. Ilhan Omar highlight the ongoing repercussions of such policies on immigrant populations.

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Somali Community Struggles

The Somali community in Minnesota faces heightened fear and disruption as ICE conducts operations, including Operation Metro Surge.
Abdiladif Ahmed, a local business owner, reports declines in customers after ICE visits, causing financial strain.
Activist Amina Adan notes bias intersects multiple forms of hostility for the community.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has initiated congressional inquiries into racial profiling by ICE, calling for solidarity.

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