Trump Targets MN Somali Community      12/03 06:10

   Recent statements by President Donald Trump and top administration officials 
disparaging Minnesota's large Somali community have focused renewed attention 
on the immigrants from the war-torn east African country and their descendants.

   MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Recent statements by President Donald Trump and top 
administration officials disparaging Minnesota's large Somali community have 
focused renewed attention on the immigrants from the war-torn east African 
country and their descendants.

   Trump on Tuesday said he did not want Somalis in the U.S. because "they 
contribute nothing." The president spoke soon after a person familiar with the 
planning said federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration 
enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali 
immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.

   Here are some things to know about Somalis in Minnesota:

   Largest Somali American population in the US

   An estimated 260,000 people of Somali descent were living in the U.S. in 
2024, according to the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey. The 
largest population is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, home to about 84,000 
residents, most of whom are American citizens. Ohio, Washington and California 
also have significant populations.

   Almost 58% of the Somalis in Minnesota were born in the U.S. Of the 
foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota, an overwhelming majority --- 87% -- are 
naturalized U.S. citizens. Of the foreign-born population, almost half entered 
the U.S. in 2010 or later, according to the Census Bureau.

   They include many who fled the long civil war in their east African country 
and were drawn to the state's welcoming social programs.

   Trump targets the community

   Trump has become increasingly focused in recent weeks on Somalis living in 
the U.S., saying they "have caused a lot of trouble."

   Trump and other administration officials stepped up their criticism after a 
conservative news outlet, City Journal, claimed that taxpayer dollars from 
defrauded government programs have flowed to the militant group al-Shabab, an 
affiliate of al-Qaida that controls parts of rural Somalia and often has 
targeted the capital, Mogadishu.

   While Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post Monday 
that his agency is investigating whether "hardworking Minnesotans' tax dollars 
may have been diverted to the terrorist organization," little evidence has 
emerged so far to prove a link. Federal prosecutors have not charged any of the 
dozens of defendants in recent public program fraud cases in Minnesota with 
providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.

   Last month, Trump said he was terminating Temporary Protected Status for 
Somali migrants in Minnesota, a legal safeguard against deportation. A report 
produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by the 
program at just 705 nationwide.

   The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and 
immigration experts, who characterized Trump's declaration as a legally dubious 
effort to sow fear and suspicion.

   Fraud allegations lead to pushback

   Local Somali community leaders, as well as allies like Gov. Tim Walz and 
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have also pushed back against those who might 
blame the broader Somali community for some recent cases of massive fraud in 
public programs.

   Those include what is known as the Feeding Our Future scandal, which federal 
prosecutors say was the country's largest COVID-19-related fraud case. It 
involved a program meant to feed children during the pandemic. The defendants 
were accused of fraudulently claiming to be feeding millions of meals to 
children. While the alleged ringleader was white, many of the defendants were 
Somalis, and most of them were U.S. citizens.

   Prosecutors in recent months have raised their estimate of the thefts to 
$300 million from an original $250 million, and the number of defendants last 
month grew to 78. The cases are still working their way through the court 
system.

   Republican candidates for governor and other offices in 2026 are staking 
their hopes on voters blaming Walz for failing to prevent the losses to 
taxpayers. Trump has blasted Walz for allowing the fraud to unfold on his watch.

   Earlier terrorism cases still echo

   Authorities in Minnesota struggled for years to stem the recruiting of young 
Somali men by the Islamic State group and the Somalia-based militant group 
al-Shabab.

   The problem first surfaced in 2007, when more than 20 young men went to 
Somalia, where Ethiopian troops propping up a weak U.N.-backed government were 
seen by many as foreign invaders.

   While most of those cases were resolved years ago, another came to light 
earlier this year. A 23-year-old defendant pleaded guilty in September to 
attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign 
terrorist organization.

   Mostly in the 2010s, the Islamic State group also found recruits in 
Minnesota's Somali community, with authorities saying roughly a dozen left to 
join militants in Syria.

   Somalis have become a force in Minnesota politics

   The best-known Somali American is arguably Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, 
a fiery progressive whose district includes Minneapolis and is a frequent 
target of Trump.

   Several other Somali Americans have served in the Minnesota Legislature and 
the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils. State Sen. Omar Fateh, a democratic 
socialist, finished second in the Minneapolis mayoral election in November to 
incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey.