Months after US authorities announced the end of a large immigration crackdown in Minnesota, fear continues to grip many residents, especially within the Somali community in Minneapolis — home to the largest Somali population outside Africa.
Many Somali immigrants say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are still carrying out raids, forcing some people to live in hiding. A 23-year-old Somali man identified as Abdi said he constantly changes where he sleeps and fears agents could arrest him at any moment, even though he has Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which legally allows him to live and work in the US.
The Trump administration had attempted to end TPS protections for Somali immigrants, arguing that Somalia’s security situation had improved. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the move. Many Somalis still feel targeted by both the immigration operation and President Donald Trump’s harsh comments about their community.
The operation, known as “Operation Metro Surge,” involved thousands of federal agents at its peak. US authorities defended the crackdown, saying it targeted criminal undocumented immigrants and improved public safety. But critics, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, accused ICE of using fear tactics and militarized methods that traumatized families and children.
The Somali community in Minnesota largely consists of refugees and immigrants who fled decades of conflict, instability, drought and extremist violence in Somalia. Abdi explained that he escaped Somalia after alleged recruitment threats from al-Shabab militants and undertook a dangerous journey through South America and the Darién Gap before reaching the US and applying for asylum.
Community members say the raids have split families apart, shut down businesses and created constant anxiety. Some restaurants and shops in Minneapolis remain closed because owners or workers were detained or are too afraid to return.
Tensions have been further inflamed by Trump’s controversial remarks describing Somalis as “garbage,” comments that angered even some former Somali supporters of the president. At the same time, federal investigations into alleged fraud involving some members of Minnesota’s Somali community have added political pressure and division.
Despite the fear, the crisis has also united different faiths and local volunteers. Muslim and Christian leaders worked together to create informal alert networks warning residents about immigration officers in their neighborhoods. Volunteers continue monitoring ICE activity, saying agents now operate more discreetly than before.
For many Somali immigrants like Abdi, the American dream now feels uncertain. He says returning to Somalia could put his life in danger, leaving him trapped between fear of deportation and fear of going home.
Source:BBCNEWS
