On Tuesday, federal agents resorted to using pepper spray to push their way through a crowd that impeded vehicles while they checked IDs in a predominantly Somali area of Minneapolis. This comes as the Trump administration escalates efforts against the local community.
Jamal Osman, a Somali-American City Council member, and an AP videographer, observed the situation unfold.
The Somali community in Minnesota, which is the largest in the nation, has felt particularly anxious lately. This follows President Trump’s Thanksgiving night announcement, where he expressed intentions to end Temporary Protected Status for Somalis.
The exact number of Somali community members who have faced arrest, temporary detainment, or document requests remains uncertain. ICE stated in an email that no arrests were made in the neighborhood on Tuesday, but provided little additional information.
Osman noted that armed ICE agents approached a nearby East African restaurant, demanding to see ID and shutting the door. According to him, they only encountered U.S. citizens and did not make any arrests.
“Fortunately, everyone had their passports, which I had advised them to carry,” Osman mentioned.
He described how agents stopped individuals on the street to check IDs and briefly detained at least one American. They also proceeded to a nearby senior housing facility. There, Osman witnessed mostly white youths, whom he referred to as “heroes,” confronting the agents, who responded with pepper spray.
Osman expressed gratitude toward the protesters, saying, “Thank you so much for coming.” He remarked that their presence—cars and whistles—prevented the officers from leaving.
He observed people suffering from the effects of the pepper spray and recounted an incident involving a young Somali-American who was forcibly taken into a vehicle, detained, and brought to an ICE center. After a search of his U.S. passport and fingerprinting, he was released but had to find his own way home in snowy conditions, about six miles away.
“I don’t see what they accomplished today other than creating chaos,” Osman remarked.
President Trump added fuel to the fire last week by labeling Somalis “trash” and expressing his desire to keep them out of the country. This escalation coincided with federal agents intensifying their crackdown in Minnesota.
The president’s comments have drawn backlash from Somali community leaders and Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, while the state’s top Republicans have largely remained silent.
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, around 84,000 of the country’s total 260,000 Somalis reside. The district is largely composed of American citizens, with about 58% born in the U.S., and 87% of foreign-born residents being naturalized.
A new Department of Homeland Security website has indicated at least six Somalis arrested in Minnesota in recent weeks. The site claims to “highlight the worst criminal aliens” apprehended by ICE, stating that they are fulfilling Trump’s promise of mass deportations.
ICE also released a statement citing three additional arrested Somalis who were not listed on their website, alongside people of different nationalities arrested during Operation Metro Surge. The statement claimed these individuals were convicted of crimes such as sexual abuse of minors, robbery, and domestic violence.
“Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey protected these criminals at the expense of American safety,” the statement declared. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have a straightforward message for illegal aliens who commit crimes: Leave now, or we will find you, arrest you, and deport you.”
