Somali Migrants in Minnesota Report Continued Fear After ICE Operation Drawdown

Fear and uncertainty remain among some Somali migrants in Minnesota despite an announced reduction in immigration enforcement activity. The operation, which involved a large deployment of agents earlier this year, prompted protests after two U.S. citizens were killed.

It has affected parts of the Somali community in Minneapolis, described as the largest outside Africa. Abdi, a 23-year-old Somali man whose name was changed for his protection, said he continues to move frequently to avoid detection. "It hasn't ended," Abdi told the BBC.

He said community members had reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were still conducting raids on homes. He rarely stays in one location longer than five nights and leaves discreetly for work. Abdi and some of his friends have been detained despite holding documents granting Temporary Protected Status.

TPS allows nationals from countries facing conflict, disaster or extraordinary conditions to live and work in the United States for limited periods. The administration of President Donald Trump had moved to end TPS for Somali immigrants by March 17, an action estimated to affect around 2,500 people.

A federal judge issued a temporary block preventing their removal. Abdi fled Somalia in 2022 after al-Shabab fighters attempted to recruit him. He spent about $15,000 to travel through Brazil, the Darién Gap and eventually crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, where he applied for asylum and TPS, which permits him to remain until 2029.

At its peak, the deployment of agents in Minnesota numbered in the thousands. In mid-February, Tom Homan announced that only a small contingent would remain. "We have arrested over 11,000 criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because sanctuary politicians refuse to protect their own people and instead protect criminals," the DHS told the BBC in a statement.

There are about 260,000 people of Somali heritage in the United States, more than half of whom were born in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many in the community arrived after the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991. Somalia has since faced chronic droughts, instability and conflict with al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-aligned group.

Some businesses in Minneapolis remain closed following the raids. A tow-truck driver told the BBC that staff at one Chinese takeaway had been detained by ICE, leaving the restaurant shuttered. Joint U.S.-Somali citizens were among those detained in the operations, though relatives declined to speak on the record.

Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar stated that the operation created fear even among children. She questioned the scale and tactics, saying agents appeared masked, unidentifiable and in large numbers with military-grade weapons. The DHS responded that those present legally have nothing to fear and that masks protect agents from doxxing by terrorist sympathizers.

It added that assaults on ICE officers have increased. Omar, the first Somali-American member of Congress, noted that immigration enforcement should not be linked to separate criminal investigations involving some members of the community. A Republican state senator, Jim Abeler, described U.S. immigration policy as a bipartisan failure over the past decade.

If deported, individuals face a 10-year bar on returning to the United States, sometimes longer, even if they have children in the country. Abdi said he would rather live in hiding in the United States than return to Somalia.