Many Somali Americans, most of them U.S. citizens, are fearful of Trump's immigration policies

MINNEAPOLIS — Many in Minnesota’s Somali community — even those who are citizens — say they are fearful after Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched an operation in the region and after President Donald Trump’s rants against Somalia and Somali immigrants living in the United States.

MINNEAPOLIS — Many in Minnesota’s Somali community — even those who are citizens — say they are fearful after Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched an operation in the region and after President Donald Trump’s rants against Somalia and Somali immigrants living in the United States.

“Nobody is leaving their homes right now,” a 21-year-old Minnesota native of Somali descent, who asked to not be named for fear of harassment, told NBC News. “They don’t even have anything to run for. They’re citizens. They’ve been living here for years.”

Many of the shops at Karmel Mall — a hub of Somali businesses, merchants and restaurants in Minneapolis — were closed Thursday, and the normally busy mall was quieter than usual. Some establishments had signs that read “No ICE.”

Normally busy, Karmel Mall, a hub for Somali businesses, merchants and restaurants in Minneapolis, was closed Thursday.Maggie Vespa for NBC NewsWhile a senior law enforcement official previously said ICE officers are not specifically targeting Somali immigrants, the operation in Minneapolis coincided with Trump’s saying Wednesday that Somalis have “destroyed Minnesota” and “our country.” Trump spoke following news reports that dozens of people of Somali descent have been convicted in fraud schemes related to Covid relief that netted over $1 billion.

“The mistakes of a few individuals can never be used to generalize or stereotype an entire community,” Imam Hassan Jama, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America, said Thursday. He added that the majority “of Somali Americans in Minnesota are hardworking, reasonable and deeply committed to contributing to the prosperity of our state and our country.”