As ICE presence escalates in Minnesota, Somali leaders push back

Rep. Mohamud Noor, flanked by DFL lawmakers and other community leaders, speaks during a press conference regarding reports of an increased ICE presence specifically targeting the Somali population and denouncing xenophobic remarks made by President Donald Trump about the Somali community, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)

As state Rep. Mohamud Noor approached the podium in a community center gymnasium to address reporters, he glanced at his phone.

“As I speak to you, someone who was a patient dragged themselves outside, and the nurse just sent me a text message saying that the person she was providing services to had been kidnapped,” said Noor, a Democrat whose Minneapolis district includes the large Somali-American community of Cedar-Riverside.

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents increase arrests in Minnesota — part of a targeted campaign ordered by President Donald Trump — Democratic lawmakers and immigrant rights activists say they are sorting through hundreds of messages claiming to have spotted ICE agents or immigrant arrests.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, said he had received several reports of ICE arrests but could not give a number since news of the ICE deployment emerged Tuesday morning.

The federal government does not release statistics on daily immigrant arrests, and lists of immigration detention centers cannot be searched online without knowing a detainee’s name — and those records are not always up to date, said Michele Garnett McKenzie, executive director of Advocates for Human Rights.

That means activists must verify arrests with family members or witnesses, wading through a sea of ​​panicked messages to uncover the truth.

“There have been a few false alarms because the anxiety level is so high, and we’re doing our best to not only put out information but facts – find out what’s real, what’s happening, what’s not happening,” Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Advocates work to inform Minnesota residents – immigrants and non-immigrants – of their rights. These include the right to refuse to open the door to federal agents if they do not have a warrant; the right to remain silent; and the right to a lawyer.

State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis and Hussein were among others who spent the morning handing out small red cardsin Somali and Oromo, summarizing the constitutional rights of individuals.

ICE agents have been accused of violating the constitutional rights of immigrants and U.S. citizens, including detaining American citizens for days. They used munitions, including pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters — including in the Twin Cities — leading to injuries.

“We are a nation of immigrants and rights, but only if we are brave enough to defend it,” Mohamed said Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, a day after a lengthy diatribe calling the Somali people “trash,” Trump doubled down on his commentscalling Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey a “fool” for being proud of the city’s Somali population.