U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deployed roughly 100 agents in coordinated strike teams across the Minneapolis–St. Paul area to enforce deportation orders against undocumented Somali immigrants, intensifying tensions within Minnesota’s large Somali community.

The operation, carried out with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), targets individuals with final removal orders. It comes in the wake of high-profile fraud cases, including the $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal in 2022 and a separate $14 million autism therapy scheme. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stressed that enforcement is based on legal status rather than ethnicity, though President Donald Trump described the region as a “hotbed of fraud and anti-American sentiment.”

Local leaders pushed back. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter refused to cooperate, with Frey declaring, “We will not assist in tearing families apart.” Governor Tim Walz dismissed the raids as a “PR stunt” despite supporting fraud prosecutions, warning that the sweeps risk spreading fear in immigrant communities.

Somali community leaders, including CAIR-Minnesota’s Jaylani Hussein, condemned the raids as “targeted harassment,” noting that Minnesota’s Somali population—over 80,000 residents—contributes more than $1 billion annually to the state’s economy. By Tuesday evening, ICE had not confirmed any arrests, though raids continued at homes and workplaces.

The action align with Trump’s broader mass deportation drive, which targets 1 million removals in 2026. Critics warn the crackdown could discourage immigrants from reporting crimes or cooperating with authorities, further straining trust between communities and law enforcement.