Legal Status Majority Emphasized by City Officials

Minneapolis city leaders have repeatedly emphasized that most of the city’s 80,000 Somali residents are American citizens or legal residents. This demographic reality contradicts implications that the community primarily consists of people subject to deportation.
Federal immigration authorities are deploying approximately 100 agents for enforcement operations that officially target individuals with final deportation orders. However, these deportable individuals represent a small fraction of the total Somali population in Minnesota.
Presidential rhetoric has characterized Somali immigrants broadly without acknowledging the legal status of most community members. During a cabinet meeting, the administration’s leader expressed desires to remove Somali immigrants from America, suggesting the entire community is unwanted.
The emphasis on legal status majority highlights the disconnect between enforcement justifications and community demographics. City officials stress that operations affecting a community where most members are citizens will inevitably violate constitutional rights.
Local leaders have made legal status a central point in defending their Somali constituents. The mayor and other officials emphasize citizenship and legal residency when warning about enforcement impacts, stress that most community members have every right to be in America, and declare unwavering support for all residents.