ICE Launches Enforcement Surge in Minneapolis–St. Paul Amid Trump’s Rhetoric Targeting Somali Immigrants

ICE Intensifies Operations In Twin Cities

Federal immigration authorities this week began intensified enforcement operations in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, a U.S. official told CBS News, focusing on a region with a large Somali population. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the operation targets people in the Twin Cities who have existing deportation orders, though the agency has not yet disclosed the full scope or duration of the effort.

Arrests Reported

Late Thursday, ICE published a list of 12 people it said had been arrested since Monday as part of the Twin Cities operation, describing them as "some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens." According to the agency, six arrestees are from Mexico, five are from Somalia and one is from El Salvador. Just over half had criminal convictions; the remainder had arrests or pending charges on record, ICE said.

Context: National Policy And Presidential Comments

The enforcement surge coincides with sharply critical remarks by President Donald Trump about Minnesota's Somali community and with recent policy moves by the administration. During a Cabinet meeting, the president described people from Somalia as "garbage" and said they "contribute nothing." He added, "I don't want them in our country. I'll be honest with you. Their country's no good for a reason. Their country stinks."

"I don't want them in our country. I'll be honest with you. Their country's no good for a reason. Their country stinks." — President Donald Trump, Cabinet meeting

In recent days the administration has paused immigration proceedings, including citizenship ceremonies, for people from Somalia and 18 other countries named on its travel-ban list, and it has ordered a review of green cards issued to nationals of those countries, according to CBS News.

Temporary Protected Status And Local Fallout

Last month, Mr. Trump announced plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some Somali nationals in the U.S., claiming without publicly cited evidence that "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people." TPS for Somalia is scheduled to expire in March 2026; the Department of Homeland Security has not formally announced termination.

The administration's rhetoric has drawn strong condemnation from Minnesota political leaders and community members. Governor Tim Walz called the president's comments "vile, racist lies and slander towards our fellow Minnesotans." Hamse Warfa, a Somali-born entrepreneur and nonprofit leader in the Twin Cities, responded: "I am not garbage. I'm a proud American citizen."

Demographics And Local Data

Minnesota is home to one of the nation's largest Somali communities—about 76,000 people of Somali descent statewide, roughly just over 1% of the state population, according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data. The majority of Somali Minnesotans are U.S. citizens: approximately 52% were born in the United States and about 42% are naturalized, leaving just over 4,000 people (a bit more than 5% of the state's Somali population) who are not U.S. citizens.

From the start of Mr. Trump's second term in January through Oct. 15, ICE reported 117 arrests nationwide of people with Somali citizenship; 28 of those arrests occurred in Minnesota, according to the Deportation Data Project. During the same period the agency recorded 1,694 total arrests in Minnesota—about 1% of national arrests.

Ending TPS for Somali nationals would affect a relatively small group: federal records showed just over 700 people from Somalia had been approved for TPS as of March, and the Immigrant Law Center reported that Minnesota hosted about 430 of those TPS holders in 2023.

Local Political And Social Context

The enforcement action comes against a backdrop of a long-running public assistance fraud investigation in Minnesota in which dozens of defendants—many of Somali descent—have been accused of defrauding state programs. The case has been a politically charged issue locally and has been cited by the administration in criticizing state leadership.

Community leaders and local officials say that while law enforcement should pursue criminal activity, broad rhetoric that targets an entire community risks stigmatizing refugees and citizens who contribute to Minnesota's economy and civic life.

What To Watch

• Whether ICE expands or discloses additional details about the Twin Cities operation.
• Formal DHS action on TPS for Somalia and any legal challenges that may follow.
• How Minnesota leaders and community organizations respond to further federal actions and rhetoric.