The United States is preparing a special operation to target foreigners in Minnesota, with a particular focus on Somali immigrants living in the United States illegally, according to a person familiar with the plan.
The move comes as US President Donald Trump on Tuesday again stepped up his rhetoric against Minnesota’s Somali community, saying he does not want immigrants from the East African country.
The operation to crack down on illegal immigrants could begin in the coming days, and will focus on the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, targeting people with final deportation orders.
Immigration officials will be deployed to the Twin Cities. The move is expected to further escalate tensions in Minnesota, which is home to the largest Somali community in the United States. Somalis have been moving there since the 1990s, fleeing the country’s civil war.
According to the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey, it was estimated that approximately 260,000 people of Somali origin lived in the United States in 2024.
The largest number live in the Minneapolis area, where approximately 84,000 people reside, most of whom are American citizens.
