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Immigration
Molly Castle Work
Rochester, Minn.

Community sounds alarm after apparent ICE arrest in Rochester

Apparent federal agents pull a man out of a sedan in the street.
Screengrab of a TikTok video that appears to show federal agents arresting a man in Rochester, Minn., posted Sunday.
Courtesy of @subbanh on TikTok

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While much of the focus on the recent arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been concentrated in the Twin Cities, it appears federal agents may be conducting arrests in greater Minnesota as well. 

An apparent arrest of a Rochester man has stirred fear in the city’s Somali community. A video circulating on social media shows a man with his hands behind his back being led into a black SUV and then driven away.

Said Hussain, executive director of the Rochester Somali Community Center, said he knew the man and had heard that federal agents followed him from his house to a nearby restaurant and detained him as he was getting out of his car. 

“He hasn't broken the law — you know — been arrested.” Hussain said. “He was a normal person working and going to the community center and stuff like that. We always see him at the mosque. I always see him at the restaurants.”

This seems to be one of the latest in a string of ICE arrests since the start of December that ICE is calling “Operation Metro Surge” in the Twin Cities region. Last week, President Donald Trump made racist and divisive comments about people of Somali heritage, particularly in Minnesota, calling them “garbage” and saying he doesn’t want them in the United States.

MPR News reported that federal officials have so far confirmed 19 arrests tied to recent operations. The agency has not disclosed the total number of people who may have been detained.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions from MPR News about the incident in Rochester.

Hussain said the man has told him that he applied for asylum but was denied. However, as an immigrant from Somalia, he has temporary protected status until March 2026. Hussain said the man has lived in Minnesota for at least eight years and is currently working to renew his work visa, which expired. Hussain said the man has a Minnesota driver’s license and previously worked for Seneca Foods, a local food distributor.

Since the man’s work visa was pending renewal, Hussain had warned him recently to be careful. 

“I talked to him a couple of weeks ago when Trump was saying something about the Somali community, something like that he was going to dispatch the ICE to come to Minnesota, to grab everybody, whatever,” Hussain recalled. “I talked to him, and I said, ‘You need to stay low.’”

Zeinab Hasan, an organizer with the Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH, said that the local Rochester community was scared to see a video of the arrest circulate this week. Hasan helped organize the community gathering and potluck that was held Sunday in Rochester to celebrate and honor Somali culture and contributions.  

“Someone’s immigration status is something that you don’t know,” Hasan said. “They’re just your Somali neighbor or just a friend or some family members. So, I think a lot of people were shocked for him to get locked up.”

Correction (Dec. 9, 2025): An earlier version of this story misspelled Zeinab Hasan’s last name.