Minneapolis is mobilising to protect its large Somali community following a series of racist tirades by former US President Donald Trump, which have sparked fears of targeted immigration raids across the city.
Trump's Vitriolic Attacks and Federal Response
On Wednesday, 3 December 2025, Trump launched into an extended, derogatory rant against Somalis from the White House. When asked about Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's defence of the local community, Trump responded with a series of inflammatory statements. He labelled Somalia as "not even a nation" and falsely claimed Somali residents had "taken billions of dollars out of our country." He again targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American US citizen, saying she "should be thrown the hell out of our country." Earlier in the week, he had referred to Somalis as "garbage."
These verbal attacks appear to be a precursor to action. The Trump administration plans to send additional federal agents into Minneapolis with a specific mandate to target Somali residents, particularly those with final deportation orders. The precise scale of this enforcement surge remains unclear.
City Leadership and Community Push Back
In direct opposition to the federal stance, Minneapolis city leadership has taken concrete steps to shield its residents. Mayor Jacob Frey issued an executive order on Wednesday night prohibiting federal, state, and local agencies from using city-owned property—such as parking lots and garages—to stage immigration enforcement operations. This mirrors a similar order enacted in Chicago.
Frey also directed the creation of signage for local businesses to clearly state that immigration agents are not permitted on their premises. "Minneapolis is – and will remain – a city that stands up for our residents," Frey stated. The city's social media affirmed it was "proud to stand behind our Somali community" and highlighted free local legal clinics with immigration attorneys.
This stance is supported by a local ordinance that legally prohibits city employees, including police officers, from assisting in civil immigration enforcement. Progressive council members are now advocating to strengthen this rule.
Grassroots Organising and Heightened Tensions
Fearing imminent raids, the Somali community and its allies have organised rapidly. Activists from Chicago, which has faced similar ICE operations, held training sessions in Minnesota on effective "ICE watch" tactics and information sharing. Volunteers were called to stand watch outside schools with large Somali student populations at the start and end of the day.
Small businesses showed solidarity, with some distributing whistles—a tactic borrowed from Chicago where they are used to alert communities to ICE presence. The local Immigrant Defense Network reported multiple accounts of "rapid ICE operations" across the city on Wednesday, noting actions were so swift that "by the time observers arrive, ICE has often left the scene."
Council Member Jason Chavez alerted his constituents to "increased enforcement actions" in south Minneapolis, citing "reports of residents being followed while driving, stopped and taken away." He directed people to report federal activity to the Monarca rapid response hotline.
The rhetoric has grown increasingly divisive. While community networks spread knowledge of legal rights, county Republican party accounts shared an "ICE tip line" number with the comment: "Turn them in! Send them home!"
Somali-born Minneapolis Council Member Jamal Osman gave a stark warning to CNN, saying Trump's attacks and the ICE activities reminded him of "1930s, 1940s Germany." He expressed dismay at advising his community to carry passports at all times because "if you look Somali you might be stopped by ICE."
Minnesota is home to the nation's largest Somali population, with roughly 84,000 people of Somali descent residing there. The majority are either US citizens or legal residents, having settled over the last thirty years. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota emphasised this, stating the community is being "unfairly vilified" and urged all non-citizens to know their rights, including the right to remain silent and to refuse entry without a judicial warrant.
The current climate has been inflamed by right-wing media focusing on a years-old fraud case involving dozens of Somali residents, over 50 of whom were convicted. The Trump administration has previously threatened to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, labelling the state a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity."
