How many Somalis in Minnesota could be impacted by federal intervention?
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Reports suggest that a planned immigration enforcement operation will focus on Somali immigrants in Minnesota who have final orders of deportation. Local advocates estimate that a few hundred people statewide could be directly affected by such an operation. This comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s recent call to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, a move that could similarly affect several hundred more.
A federal report shows 705 Somali migrants nationwide currently hold Temporary Protected Status, with hundreds living in Minnesota. However, the majority of Somali Minnesotans are legal permanent residents, naturalized citizens, or refugee arrivals who have been in the state for decades.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with an estimated 80,000 Minnesota Somalis.
While most Somali Minnesotans live in Minneapolis and St. Paul, other cities across the state also have significant Somali communities. St. Cloud, for example, has nearly 4,400 residents of Somali ancestry. Secondary migration — in which families move from one U.S. region to another — has contributed to this broader settlement pattern across Minnesota.
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Economically, Somali Minnesotans participate across a wide range of industries. Many work in health care, including nursing assistance, home health care, and long-term care — sectors that rely heavily on immigrant labor. Somali workers are also present in manufacturing, food processing, transportation, education support roles and the public sector.
These jobs have made the community an important part of the state’s workforce, particularly in fields facing staffing shortages.
Beyond population counts and economic indicators, many Somali Minnesotans say the current climate feels unusually tense. President Trump recently told reporters at a Cabinet meeting, “They [Somali Americans] contribute nothing. I don't want them in our country.”
Local researchers say the rhetoric is landing at a moment when Somali Minnesotans are already navigating the pressures of visibility, growth and political polarization.
Ahmed Samatar, James Wallace Professor of International Studies at Macalester College, said it is important to distinguish between individual wrongdoing and broad claims about an entire community.
He emphasized that Somali Minnesotans have been part of the state for decades, working in fields ranging from health care to business and education.
“The majority of them are very honorable people,” he said. “They have adapted well to the circumstances in the state of Minnesota. They have become very successful in what they do, whether they are in academics, whether they are in the healthcare business, doctors and nurses, or whether they are in business, engineering, you name it. So I think that has to be acknowledged.”
In a conversation with MPR News host Nina Moini, Samatar warned that recent rhetoric risks obscuring those realities.
“It seems to me, at this particular time, the swinging of accusations is so unhinged in many ways that it is creates an atmosphere in which American citizens themselves from all races and all communities and all religious beliefs might be brought into confrontations that are not necessary and therefore undermine the collective civic solidarity among American people, whoever they are.”
For many Somali Minnesotans, that atmosphere complicates daily life in ways that numbers alone cannot capture.
Economic contributions — whether in health care, small business ownership, or manufacturing – illustrate one dimension of the community’s role in the state.
But families, scholars, and local leaders say belonging cannot be measured only through labor statistics or income data. It is also reflected in neighborhoods, schools, religious communities, and the long-term relationships Somali families have built in Minnesota over more than 30 years.
Somali Minnesotans have also taken on a growing role in civic life. Members of the community serve on city councils, school boards, and in the state legislature. Their political involvement has increased as more Somali Americans reach voting age and as community organizations expand their outreach.
Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman — who represents a large East African community in the city – spoke emotionally at a press conference about the shockwaves the news of an immigration enforcement operation has sent through Somali neighborhoods.
“I am proud to say I'm a Somali American. This country welcomed me and my family 26 years ago, it has provided me with a life that I did not have in Somalia. We came here and we are thankful. I've been educated here, had the opportunity to serve my community, to be a councilmember. I know many families are fearful tonight. They are, but I want you to know that the city, Minneapolis, stands behind you.”
Local leaders, including Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter, and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, also responded, emphasizing residents’ legal rights and noting that the Minneapolis Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement. City officials say they are continuing to seek information and provide guidance.
