Minneapolis Somali Leaders Push Back Against Rising Attacks

MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) -- Somali community leaders plan to hold their second news conference in as many days in Minneapolis.

Somali leaders will be joined by CAIR-Minnesota and other organizations at 3:00 p.m. Thursday at Minneapolis City Hall.

They say the purpose of the event is to announce a series of initiatives aimed at supporting and strengthening the Somali American community amid recent attacks and escalating misinformation. The announcement will include a call for establishing Somali Heritage Month, beginning in Minnesota and advancing toward national designation.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is banning federal, state, and local agencies from using city-owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots to stage civil immigration enforcement operations. The executive order also directs staff to create signage templates for businesses that want to mark their property as off-limits. Frey says the move reinforces Minneapolis as a welcoming city. The order follows federal plans to target Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities.

Civil Rights Director Alec Shaw says this is not a time for panic; this is a time to be aware, alert, and informed of your legal rights.

“The large majority of Somalis in Minnesota are legal, permanent residents or citizens. That does not mean that folks with legal status are totally immune from interactions with federal law enforcement.”

This advice also comes after national reports that a federal immigration operation specifically targeting Minnesota’s Somali population is underway.