ICE coming for Minneapolis after Trump targets Somalis
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The Department of Homeland Security is planning to shift its attention to Minnesota as part of its nationwide immigration crackdown, Secretary Kristi Noem said in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The Somali community, which has a significant population in Minnesota, has been a regular target for President Trump. "They contribute nothing. I don't want 'em in our country," he said Tuesday.
- Noem said the agency will be targeting visa fraud in the state, which is home to a significant Somali population.
- "You told me to look into Minnesota and their fraud on visa programs, 50% of them are fraudulent, which means that that wacko Governor [Tim Walz] either is an idiot or he did it on purpose and I think he's both," Noem said.
Zoom out: Noem's announcement follows the start of Operation Twin Shield, an investigative effort led by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI.
- The operation reviewed 1,000 cases and found suspected fraud in 275, according to a press release in September. It did not say if any arrests were made.
- ICE is expected to surge operations in Minneapolis, according to the New York Times.
Between the lines: Trump posted last week that he wanted to end temporary protective status for Somalis.
- "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It's OVER!" he posted.
The other side: "We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime. But pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem," Gov. Walz posted to X in response to the Times' report.
