Possible federal immigration operation raises questions for Somali immigrants in Minnesota
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President Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric about Minnesota’s Somali community in recent weeks. And according to reports from The New York Times and the Associated Press, the Trump administration now plans to target hundreds of Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the Twin Cities.
MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks about what we know so far, what remains unclear and the impact it’s all having on the Somali community in Minnesota.
Guests:
State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed (DFL-Minneapolis) has represented south Minneapolis since 2023. She is the first Somali woman elected to the Minnesota Senate. She is also the youngest member in Minnesota Senate history.
Tatiana Padilla is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation at the University of Minnesota where she researches how immigration enforcement affects communities.
Steve Thal is an attorney practicing immigration law in Minnetonka.
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Correction (Dec. 3, 2025): A previous version of this story misidentified State Sen. Mohamed’s achievement in her election to the Minnesota Senate.
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