Somalis Arrested in Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown, Officials Say

Federal officials said Somali immigrants were among those arrested in a Minneapolis immigration operation, following President Trump’s recent derogatory remarks about the community. DHS described the detainees as dangerous criminals, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned Trump’s rhetoric. Similar arrests took place in New Orleans, prompting protests and concerns over due process, with local leaders calling for protections for vulnerable residents.

Federal officials said on Thursday that people of Somali origin were among those arrested during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, just two days after President Donald Trump made derogatory remarks about immigrants from Somalia and expressed a desire to have them removed from the United States.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Minneapolis arrests began on Monday. While officials did not provide a total number of people apprehended, they offered details on 12 individuals taken into custody: five were from Somalia, and the remainder were from Mexico and El Salvador. In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin characterized all of those arrested as dangerous criminals, citing convictions ranging from fraud and vehicle theft to criminal sexual conduct and driving under the influence.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, sharply criticized President Trump’s comments targeting the city’s Somali population. He called on Americans to “love and respect” Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, which is the largest in North America. Trump’s recent rhetoric, which included calling Somali immigrants in Minnesota “garbage” during a televised cabinet meeting, has been applauded by some of his allies, while sparking condemnation from critics who view it as racist and inflammatory. His remarks followed reports of government fraud among some members of the Somali community, which Trump used to justify his harsh language and deportation stance.

Anti-immigration rhetoric has been a central feature of Trump’s political platform. Since taking office in January, his administration has conducted aggressive immigration operations nationwide, often involving masked federal agents, in an effort to increase deportations to record levels. Observers note that Trump’s public language about immigrants has grown increasingly severe alongside these enforcement actions.

On the same day, federal officials reported that dozens of people were arrested in New Orleans, another city governed by Democrats. On the second day of that operation, protesters disrupted a city council meeting to urge officials to designate city property as “ICE Free” zones, where federal immigration agents would be restricted from staging operations. Protesters accused federal agents of indiscriminately targeting people of color, including U.S. citizens with no criminal record, allegations denied by DHS.

New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno described the operation as having created a climate of fear among the city’s most vulnerable residents. She announced the creation of an online portal for citizens to report abuse by federal immigration officers, emphasizing the importance of due process for all residents. Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, expressed support for the federal immigration enforcement efforts, signaling a clear divide in political responses to the operations.