Displaying items by tag: Somalis

A confrontation between federal agents and residents in a Somali neighbourhood of Minneapolis has heightened fear and tension within the community. Witnesses reported that ICE agents used pepper spray to disperse a crowd of protesters after checking identifications in restaurants, on the streets, and at a senior housing complex. The crackdown follows the decision by Donald Trump to end temporary protected status for Somalis, calling them ‘garbage’ and saying he does not want them in the country. The move has drawn denunciations from leaders of the Somali community and governor Tim Walz. About 84,000 of the 260,000 Somalis in the country live in the Minneapolis-St Paul area, the overwhelming majority of them US citizens. Over half were born in the U.S., and 87 per cent of those born elsewhere are naturalised citizens. Federal officials justify the operation as targeting criminals, giving details of nine criminals who have been arrested recently, but local leaders argue that such actions unfairly stigmatise an entire community.