Page 11 - AHATA

A2 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 3 december 2025

Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali

immigrants, AP source says

By MIKE BALSAMO and ocratic vice presidential
STEVE KARNOWSKI candidate.
Associated Press Trump has claimed immi-
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Fed- grants from Somalia were
eral authorities are prepar- “completely taking over
ing a targeted immigration the once great State of
enforcement operation in Minnesota” and has de-
Minnesota that would pri- meaned Walz, the Demo-
marily focus on Somali im- cratic vice presidential
migrants living unlawfully nominee last year.
in the U.S., a move that Treasury Secretary Scott
comes as President Donald Bessent said in a social me-
Trump has escalated rheto- dia post Monday that his
ric about the state’s Somali agency was “investigating
community, according to allegations that under the
a person familiar with the feckless mismanagement
planning. of the Biden Administration
The operation could begin and Governor Tim Walz,
in the coming days and hardworking Minnesotans’
is expected to zero in on tax dollars may have been
people in the Minneapo- diverted to the terrorist or-
lis–St. Paul area who have ganization Al-Shabaab.”
final orders of deportation, Nearly all Somalis in Minne-
the person said. Teams of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey talks during a news conference after winning a third term in the sota are citizens
immigration agents would city's ranked-choice voting election, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Minneapolis. Jaylani Hussein, a Somali
spread across the Twin Associated Press. American who is executive
Cities in what the person in their east African coun- tion enforcement, saying U.S., after a conservative director of the Minnesota
described as a directed, try and were drawn to the “it's not their job.” news outlet, City Journal, chapter of the Council on
high-priority sweep, though state’s welcoming social “Targeting Somali people claimed that taxpayer dol- American-Islamic Relations,
the plans remain subject to programs. means that due process will lars from defrauded gov- said his group has heard of
change. Hundreds of people are ex- be violated, mistakes will be ernment programs have “less than a dozen” immi-
The prospect of an immi- pected to be targeted in made, and let’s be clear, it flowed to the Somali group gration arrests within the
gration operation is likely the operation, the person means that American citi- al-Shabab. local Somali community in
to deepen tensions in Min- said. zens will be detained for no Last month, Trump said he recent days.
nesota as Trump has be- As with previous immigra- other reason than the fact was terminating Temporary But Hussein said around 95%
come increasingly focused tion operations, so-called that they look like they are Protected Status for So- of Somalis in Minnesota are
on people of Somalian de- incidental arrests are pos- Somali," he said. "That is not mali migrants living in Min- U.S. citizens, so the numbers
scent living in the U.S., say- sible, meaning people who now and will never be a le- nesota, a legal safeguard of those at earlier stages
ing recently that they “have aren’t targeted but lack gitimate reason.” against deportation for im- of the immigration process
caused a lot of trouble,” legal status could also be Homeland Security spokes- migrants from certain coun- are a “pretty small” propor-
rhetoric that community detained if encountered person Tricia McLaughlin tries. A report produced for tion of the community. He
leaders say has inflamed during the sweep, the per- said the agency would not Congress in August put the said they estimate that 50%
tensions and revived fears son said. discuss “future or potential number of Somalis covered of the community was born
of profiling. The person spoke on the operations.” by the program at just 705 in the U.S.
Trump said during a Cabi- condition of anonymity to “Every day, ICE enforc- nationwide. “We believe this is politi-
net meeting on Tuesday discuss internal delibera- es the laws of the nation Minnesota Democratic cal rhetoric and an attack
that he did not want Somali tions that have not been across the country. What Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday against our community,”
immigrants in the country, publicly disclosed. The op- makes someone a target that anyone committing Hussein said.
saying they are too reliant eration was first reported of ICE is not their race or fraud should go to prison, “But additional ICE agents
on the U.S. social safety net by The New York Times. ethnicity, but the fact that but he criticized the Trump means additional pressure
and add little to the nation. Minneapolis police won't they are in the country ille- administration’s actions. on the wider immigrant
“They contribute nothing. help with immigration en- gally,” McLaughlin said. “Sitting on the sidelines and community,” he said, refer-

I don’t want them in our forcement Trump ramps up criticism of throwing out accusations ring to Hispanics and other
country,” he said. “Their Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Somalis and let’s be very clear, de- Africans.
country is no good for a Frey said on Tuesday that Trump and other officials monizing an entire popu- Hussein said the reported
reason.” the city’s police officers, in his administration have lation and lying to people crackdown plan is yet an-
Minnesota has the nation’s many of whom are Somali, used increasingly harsh about the safety and secu- other example of the Trump
largest Somali community. will not work with any fed- language in recent days rity of this state is beneath administration “demonizing
Many fled the long civil war eral agents doing immigra- against Somalis living in the that,” said the 2024 Dem- the Muslim community.” q