News > Press Releases
Targeted ICE Enforcement of Somali Community in Minnesota Is Racist and Islamophobic
Posted on Dec 03 2025
December 3, 2025 – This week, the New York Times reported the administration’s plans for targeted immigration enforcement operations of Somali immigrants in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The plan includes adding roughly 100 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from across the country to this disturbing, Islamophobic, and racist effort.
Minnesota is home to roughly 84,000 people of Somali descent who have created very deep roots in the United States. Threats of detention and deportation create a very serious climate of fear and uncertainty.
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) Executive Director, Jennifer Stohl Powell, said: “ILCM stands with our Somali clients and community members, who are being unfairly vilified by the administration and targeted by current ICE enforcement actions. The majority of Somalis in Minnesota entered as refugees, and many are now U.S. citizens. We urge all non-citizens to know their immigration status and carry proof of that status. Non-citizens have rights, including the right to remain silent, the right not to sign anything without speaking with an attorney, and the right not to open the door unless officers present a judicial warrant with the correct name and address.”
The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota condemns the racist and Islamophobic actions of the Trump administration. We will continue to defend the rights of immigrants and refugees and offer resources and legal services to protect and strengthen our communities.
We urge all community members to know their rights when interacting with ICE:
- You have the right to remain silent.
- You have the right to speak to a lawyer.
- Do not sign anything. ICE may try to get you to sign documents that hinder your situation.
- You do NOT need to open your door unless agents present a signed judicial warrant with your correct name and address.
- You may document and record enforcement activity from a safe distance.
If you see an enforcement activity, please immediately contact the Immigrant Defense Network helpline at (612) 255-3112. As a bystander, you have the legal right to record, document, and observe from a safe distance.
If you or someone you know has been detained, call 651-641-1011 within our detention line intake hours to obtain general information about court proceedings, the Minnesota Detention Project, and the services the project provides. The ILCM Detention Line intake hours are Mondays 2-4pm and Thursday 1-3pm.