When federal immigration agents ramped up enforcement in Minneapolis last month, members of the city’s Somali community moved quickly to organize an informal civic response. What began as urgent door-knocking and late-night phone calls has grown into a coordinated volunteer effort to protect residents who say they feel targeted.
Volunteers now number over 100 in south Minneapolis, where they patrol streets, hand out legal-rights pamphlets and accompany elderly and frightened neighbors to ensure their safety. The mobilization reflects deep unease among many Somali Americans who say the raids have stirred memories of intrusive surveillance and arbitrary authority they thought they had left behind.
“You would never fathom that people would just pluck you off the streets ... and say, ’Prove to me that you’re a citizen,’” said one local organizer, summing up accounts of confrontational encounters with agents. “It’s not that we never thought it was impossible. We just believed the Constitution was going to protect us from this level of interrogation.”
Federal deployment and local reaction
The enforcement activity followed a federal decision to send 3,000 agents to carry out immigration operations, a move that community advocates and many local leaders say has raised alarm. Federal officials have cited a separate fraud scandal involving theft of federal funds for social-welfare programs in Minnesota as among the reasons for the deployment. Still, critics point out that a number of those detained in enforcement actions have no criminal charges or convictions.
Department of Homeland Security communications have stressed that immigrants served with administrative warrants or I-205 removal orders have been processed after judicial proceedings, with a spokesperson saying those individuals "have had full due process and a final order of removal from an immigration judge."
Community leaders describe heightened fear and a search for safety
Advocates and organizers describe a climate of fear that has reached beyond individuals directly contacted by agents. The fatal January 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an immigration agent has added to tensions in Minneapolis, according to local leaders, deepening worries about safety.
“A lot of community members escaped war and this administration is triggering another war zone,” said the co-chair of a local Somali advocacy table formed to respond to rising hate incidents and political pressure. He and other organizers say the tone of national rhetoric targeting Somali immigrants has emboldened far-right actors and produced a chilling effect on businesses and everyday life.
Economic and neighborhood impact
In Cedar-Riverside, a neighborhood known for its concentration of Somali-owned restaurants, shops and services, business owners report a noticeable slowdown since agents began operations. A grocery store manager in the area said foot traffic has dropped and that some suppliers, including Latino drivers, have been reluctant to come to the neighborhood because of safety concerns.
Local organizers are urging community members to document encounters with law enforcement, plan peaceful demonstrations and intensify voter outreach. Mosques and community centers have started hosting political education sessions to inform residents of their rights and civic options, and to coordinate volunteer efforts.
Political concerns and organizing ahead of elections
Many Somali Americans view the enforcement activity through a political lens. Over a dozen grassroots organizers, local officials and residents said they suspect the operations could deter turnout among a community that has largely supported one major party since the 1990s and that has become more politically active over the past two decades. Some community leaders described the raids as a deliberate signal intended to discourage voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“It’s signaling that if we get rid of them, if we scare them, they’re not going to come out to vote in the 2026 midterm election. We know that’s the target,” said the co-chair of a Somali American leadership group. That organization is coordinating with other grassroots groups to train volunteers on opposing enforcement raids while also addressing broader local priorities, including affordability.
Members of Congress from the Somali community have been frequent targets of hostile rhetoric, and national-level statements about immigrants have been cited by local leaders as contributing to the charged atmosphere. A White House spokeswoman reiterated a viewpoint expressed at the federal level that immigrants who do not contribute economically, abuse public benefits, and do not assimilate should not remain in the country.
At the state party level, a Republican official disputed claims that enforcement actions were politically motivated, calling such assertions "categorically false," while acknowledging that complaints about aggressive tactics deserve review.
Organizing for turnout and legal protections
Against this backdrop, some community leaders are prioritizing voter mobilization. Naturalized citizens and recent voters say they intend to turn political concern into participation at the ballot box.
“The power we have is to vote,” said a 37-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who became a citizen in 2024. He added, “ICE and whoever is trying to terrorize the Somali community will not succeed.”
Organizers emphasize that their efforts are multifaceted: watching for and recording enforcement encounters, providing legal-rights information, escorting vulnerable residents and expanding civic education in trusted community spaces. They say these measures aim to protect civil liberties while maintaining community cohesion during a period of heightened enforcement and anxiety.
Outlook
The situation remains fluid as community groups intensify outreach and volunteers maintain neighborhood patrols. Local leaders and civil-rights advocates warn that the long-term effects on civic participation, small-business activity and neighborhood stability will depend on how enforcement actions proceed and on responses from state and federal officials.