The Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement efforts with a major operation focused on Minneapolis, deploying more than 100 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to identify and remove illegal Somali immigrants living in the city.
According to the New York Post, officials say as many as 500 individuals from Somalia are being targeted. Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with estimates topping 80,000 residents from the East African nation.
The heightened enforcement comes on the heels of revelations involving large-scale fraud within Minnesota’s Somali migrant community. Accusations have been made alleging that some within the community have been funneling American taxpayer funds to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
According to the state’s Department of Human Services, scammers exploited public programs and cost taxpayers roughly $1 billion — a scandal that erupted during the tenure of Gov. Tim Walz.
President Donald Trump sharply criticized illegal immigration from Somalia during a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
“I don’t want them in our country,” he said, while also describing the struggling nation as one that “stinks.” He additionally attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who was born in Somalia, calling her “garbage.”
Despite the focus on Minnesota’s Somali community, the Department of Homeland Security pushed back on claims that he operation was singling out any group. Officials emphasized that immigration actions are based solely on legal status, not ethnicity.
“Every day, ICE enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Wednesday statement. “What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally. We do not discuss future or potential operations.”
The Minnesota operation appears to be part of a broader national effort. As of Tuesday, ICE expanded its presence in New Orleans as well, signaling a multistate push by the administration to accelerate enforcement.
