A new Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, will target undocumented Somali immigrants, a federal official told CNN on Tuesday, as the president has ramped up attacks against the community in recent days.
The New York Times, which cited documents and an official who spoke anonymously, was first to report the operation in Minneapolis.
The latest federal immigration effort comes as President Donald Trump ended his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday by asserting he does not want Somali immigrants in the United States, referring to them as “garbage” who should “go back to where they came from.”
“I don’t want them in our country,” he said. “Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country.”
The president’s remarks represent an escalation of his attacks against Somalis, particularly in Minneapolis. He has repeatedly signaled out Somalis since last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, even though the alleged shooter is an Afghan who had nothing to do with Somalia.
Minneapolis officials held a news conference about the issue this afternoon.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agency does “not discuss future or potential operations.”
In response to the Times’ report, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, called the proposed operation a “PR stunt.”
“We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime,” Walz posted on X. “But pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem.”
Source:-CNN.