Federal agents have arrested a dozen people in Minneapolis as part of an operation primarily focused on undocumented Somali immigrants. However, less than half of those detained are actually Somalis.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported on Thursday that a total of 12 people were arrested, including six Mexican nationals, five from Somalia, and one from El Salvador.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area, home to the largest Somali community in the U.S., has become a target for ICE under the current administration, following similar operations in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Additionally, ICE officials have set their sights on New Orleans, planning to arrest up to 5,000 individuals.
ICE characterized the detainees as the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, noting that eight of them had been charged or convicted of various crimes, including assault, fraud, domestic violence, and driving under the influence.
In public comments, President Donald Trump recently singled out Somali immigrants, accusing them of contributing nothing to society and labeling their community as a source of fraud. He also blamed Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for purportedly allowing this alleged fraud to occur.
The operation has drawn fierce criticism from local and state officials. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in a show of support for the local Somali population, stated that city police would refrain from engaging in any federal immigration enforcement. In response to the backlash, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed that Frey and Walz were endangering citizens by neglecting to enforce immigration laws.
