How executive orders, ICE actions and policy changes affected Minnesota immigrants in 2025
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As 2025 comes to a close, immigration stands out as one of the most consequential and closely watched issues of the year. From the first days of the Trump administration, sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policy were introduced, reshaping enforcement, humanitarian protections and refugee resettlement nationwide.
In Minnesota, those decisions had immediate effects, leaving many immigrants, families, and support organizations navigating uncertainty.
Throughout the year, reporting across the state documented how federal policy shifts translated into local realities — from ICE arrests and court challenges to community responses and advocacy. Here is a closer look at how the year unfolded.
Immigration takes center stage at the start of 2025
Immigration policy moved to the forefront almost immediately after the presidential inauguration. Within days, the Trump administration issued a series of executive orders focused on border security and immigration enforcement.
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Those orders expanded the categories of people eligible for deportation and rolled back protections that had previously applied to some humanitarian cases. Advocates and service providers say what stood out most was the speed of implementation.
With little transition time, many immigrants and the organizations that support them were left scrambling to understand rapidly changing rules, setting a tone of uncertainty that carried through the year.
Refugee resettlement comes to a near standstill
One of the earliest and most impactful actions involved refugee resettlement. The administration moved to halt much of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, effectively stopping most new refugee arrivals.
The impact was especially visible in Minnesota, a state with a long history of refugee resettlement. According to the state’s refugee resettlement office, fewer than 100 refugees arrived in Minnesota after January 2025. By comparison, the state has historically resettled an average of about 2,000 refugees each year over the past 45 years.
While new arrivals slowed dramatically, refugee services did not stop altogether. Instead, their focus shifted.
Minnesota’s refugee programs continued working with thousands of people who had arrived in previous years. In 2024 alone, services supported more than 7,300 refugees who had come to the state within the past five years. That work included helping children adjust in schools, assisting adults with employment, and supporting long-term stability for families already living in Minnesota.
State refugee coordinator Rachele King noted that the refugee admissions program is directly controlled by the president, who sets an annual ceiling in consultation with Congress. Since the program’s creation in 1980, only the first and current Trump administrations have set refugee admission caps below 60,000 nationwide.
Projections for refugee admissions in 2026 lower than past years
According to King, federal agencies have informed resettlement organizations that up to 7,500 refugees could be admitted nationwide in fiscal year 2026. Most of those slots are expected to be reserved for Afrikaners from South Africa. Afrikaners trace their roots to European settlers, primarily Dutch, along with German and French, who arrived at the southern tip of Africa in the 1600s.
For Minnesota, projections suggest fewer than 300 refugee arrivals in total, primarily Afrikaners. State officials say a small number have already arrived in both the Twin Cities metro area and greater Minnesota. Decisions about which groups are prioritized are made at the federal level.
International students and visa enforcement under scrutiny
Immigration enforcement also affected international students in 2025. Several students nationwide saw visas revoked or student records terminated.
One closely followed case involved Doğukan Günaydın, a 28-year-old MBA student at the University of Minnesota. He was detained by ICE in March in connection with a drunk-driving case from 2023. His attorneys argued that the incident did not legally justify revoking his student visa.
Günaydın spent nearly two months in ICE custody before a judge ordered his release in May. His detention prompted protests, public statements from local leaders and advocacy from legal organizations, raising broader questions about due process and the scope of immigration enforcement.
The detention of a Minnesota mother highlights family impacts
Another case that drew attention involved Antonia Aguilar Maldonado, a 26-year-old mother of two who was detained by ICE while on her way to work. Her attorneys said she had no criminal record and was actively seeking asylum. At the time of her detention, she was breastfeeding one of her children.
A federal judge later ruled that detaining her violated existing policies intended to protect breastfeeding mothers. Support from her church, legal advocates and community members helped secure her release, underscoring how immigration enforcement decisions can affect families and children as well as individuals.
A more visible and aggressive enforcement approach
In recent months, ICE has arrested hundreds of people in Minnesota, sometimes during tense encounters involving community members. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 670 people were arrested in Minnesota during the immigration enforcement surge that began Dec. 1.
Advocates note that deportations have occurred under multiple administrations, including those of Presidents Obama and Biden. What they say feels different now is the scale and visibility of enforcement. ICE arrests have become more aggressive, and the Department of Homeland Security has publicly highlighted arrest numbers as indicators of success.
That visibility has contributed to widespread fear, even among people with legal status or U.S. citizenship. Some residents report avoiding everyday activities such as grocery shopping or attending religious services.
Faith leaders say they are responding in ways typically reserved for emergencies. Pastor James Erlandson of St. Paul said clergy members have begun visiting people in their homes to provide support, a practice usually associated with serious illness or end-of-life care. He described fear steadily building in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods throughout the year.
Telling the broader story of immigration in Minnesota
However, the upheaval brought about by policy changes in Washington, D.C., didn’t completely define immigrant communities in the state.
Immigrant entrepreneurs and leaders continued to open new businesses and create new organizations designed to serve their communities around the state. They also organized local efforts to support people affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
Minnesota’s Somali community spoke out strongly against national immigration rhetoric and enforcement actions, including gatherings in St. Cloud where Somali residents and supporters pushed back against President Trump’s comments about Somali immigrants.
At those events, community members and local officials addressed concerns over federal discourse and efforts to show solidarity amid heightened attention on immigration issues in the region.
