Minnesota State Senator Zaynab Mohamed addressed reporters after a series of ICE operations were carried out in the Minneapolis area, sparking shock and anger within the Somali-American community. The raids — conducted under Trump’s revived immigration enforcement push — led to multiple removals and emergency responses from local leaders. In this full video, watch Senator Mohamed’s sharp criticism of ICE tactics, community reactions on the ground, and the growing political storm in Minnesota.
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#SomaliMinnesota #TrumpSomaliMinnesota #SomalisInMN #MinnesotaICE #TrumpSomalisMN #ICEMinnesota #SomaliRefugeesMN #MinnesotaSomaliCommunity #TrumpSomalia #TrumpSomaliaRemarks #SomaliaTrumpComments #SomaliaTrumpReaction #TrumpSomaliaOutrage #SomaliImmigrants2025 #TrumpSpeechSomalia #SomaliaUSPolitics #MinnesotaImmigration #ICERaidsMinnesota #TrumpSomaliDebate #SomaliAmericanVoices
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NewsTranscript
00:00I'll start. My name is Jaylani Hussain, J-A-Y-L-A-N-I, H-U-S-S-E-I-N.
00:05I'm the Executive Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations.
00:09I start, first of all, to share with you my story.
00:15My family immigrated here to Minneapolis, to Minnesota, in 1993.
00:21We immigrated on February 16th, one of the coldest days of that year, I think, or at least to me.
00:30And we came here where there wasn't really that many people of color.
00:36But Minnesota, what I have found in Minnesota, is, as my father says, we came to a cold place, but we found people with warm hearts.
00:48And now, 30-plus years later, I'm as Minnesotan as you can get.
00:54In fact, I was in a deer stand not too long ago. I did not get deer.
01:00But, today we're standing because my community, the Somali immigrant community, and our broader immigrant community, is under assault.
01:12Part of me says that we are under assault because we exemplify what it is to be an immigrant in this country.
01:22Somali Americans are hardworking.
01:27Bus drivers, engineers, doctors.
01:30We do the jobs that many people don't want to do.
01:35And we are in both the urban core and in greater parts of the state.
01:43We are and have been in this country for a long time.
01:48In fact, overwhelmingly, the majority of our community is actually younger children who are born here in this great state of Minnesota.
01:56What President Trump and most of the public who are attacking our community is not aware of is the success of this great community.
02:08And I believe, personally, that is why we are being targeted, and that's why we are being attacked.
02:16And to my beloved Somali American community who now feel the breath and the weight of this federal government dawning upon us,
02:26with ICE agents now traveling in different parts of our city,
02:30I speak to you to say, number one, know your rights.
02:37Be calm, collective.
02:39This moment will pass.
02:42And not only will it pass, but we will come out of this moment stronger, more resilient.
02:47And for the first time, we will be sharing our culture, our incredible hospitality, our hard work,
02:56and the stories that we have kept so long inside of Minnesota to the greater part of this nation.
03:04And not only our food and sambusas and all the other things that we have will become mainline,
03:11but it will show the resiliency of our state and our community.
03:17In this moment, it is understandable to be frustrated and any fear.
03:22But rest assured, we are here to let you know that we will prevail.
03:29To President Trump and the base that is attacking our community,
03:35we understand that you are here to divide us,
03:39to create fear amongst us,
03:42and to selectively target the blackest immigrant and Muslim community in this great state.
03:51President Trump has had a history of targeting black people long before he ever ran for any office.
04:01And we know that the identity of who we are is part of the attack.
04:05And also as being Muslims and being immigrants.
04:09In fact, we know in our community, we have some of the smallest number of undocumented Somali Americans.
04:16Majority of us are U.S. citizens.
04:19Even a majority of even that born in the United States.
04:22What we see today that's happening in Minneapolis is the authoritarian nature of this government
04:30and acting as a third world nation by targeting lawful U.S. citizens.
04:39We should be ashamedful of that.
04:44And we remind President Trump and the Republican leadership of this state and across the country,
04:51Somali Americans are not monolithic to any community.
04:55We vote for the Democratic Party.
04:57We vote for the Republican Party.
04:58And for the first time, we saw a shift not only in our community,
05:01but in other communities who voted actually for President Trump.
05:05We want people to understand that our community is sophisticated,
05:09capable, and very smart.
05:13In fact, in this moment, we are calling upon our neighbors,
05:18those who we have built great relationship with,
05:21to speak up, to stand up,
05:24and to share to the rest of the country what it means to be a neighbor to a Somali American,
05:29to be taught by a Somali American,
05:31to be driven by a Somali American,
05:34and to live and see a world where Somali Americans are not just an asset.
05:39But an important asset to the future of this state and this country.
05:43I personally sit in this moment as President Trump continues to target us.
05:50And I see a moment of inspiration even in that vile hate toward our community.
05:56He is inspiring a generation of young people today who are on social media watching this
06:02and recognizing that his seat that he's sitting in as the President of the United States,
06:07he is inspiring a young Somali woman,
06:09a young Somali boy to become a President of the United States in near future.
06:14We are not a community that retreats.
06:19We are a community that leans in.
06:21We are a community that's civically engaged.
06:24We are a community that cares about our neighbors.
06:26And we are a community that believes in everything great about this nation.
06:31Not only do we serve in the army and police departments,
06:35but we are part and parcel of everything that happens in the success of this great state and our country.
06:42This is a moment for all of us.
06:44And in this moment we ask for everyone to show their humanity and to show love in the face of hate.
06:54And I know this moment will pass, but history will remind us of what we did in this moment.
07:01How we stood next to each other and how we reminded each other of the best ideals.
07:07On a suburban cul-de-sac, somewhere in the outskirts of this city,
07:12resides five children who each could claim that their ancestors came from other parts of the world.
07:20But every single morning in this country, those five children ride on a school bus
07:25looking at each other as Americans, as friends, as neighbors.
07:31That is the America that we live in.
07:33That is the America we envision.
07:35And that is the America of today and tomorrow.
07:38Thank you, Brother Jaylani.
07:46Thank you, everybody, for being here.
07:47A couple of weeks ago, right-wing podcasters said Donald Trump should revoke temporary status for Somalis.
07:56700 people across the country who are seeking refuge from famine and violence.
08:01So Trump did.
08:03And Republicans applauded or said nothing.
08:06Then Trump's agency said they would be investigating false accusations connecting Somali citizens and terrorists.
08:13Again, Republicans cheered.
08:17Then we heard ICE agents would be coming to Minneapolis where almost every Somali person living here is a citizen.
08:25Many of us second or third generation.
08:27And again, Republicans either thanked him or said nothing.
08:35Yesterday, Donald Trump exposed what he really wants, what he really thinks, that Somalis are garbage.
08:43And that does not, and that he does not want us here.
08:48That's dehumanizing and hateful language and a direct threat to denaturalize and deport American citizens, citizens like myself.
08:59And where are the Republicans now?
09:02This morning, I emailed Republican leaders in the legislature and asked that they join us here.
09:10And that they speak out publicly or contact me directly and condemn what Donald Trump said about their fellow Minnesotans, their fellow citizens.
09:21So far, no response.
09:24My offer still stands.
09:28The actions taking place against Somalis in Minnesota include ICE, Border Patrol, the DEA, the DOJ, the Treasury Department, Homeland Security, the ATF, and the FBI.
09:40They are throwing the full weight of the federal government against a tiny population of people, maybe 80,000 in Minnesota, and a couple hundred thousand across the nation.
09:54We are a fraction of a percent.
09:56Why us?
09:58Is that because we're tiny and most Americans don't know a Somali person?
10:02And he thinks he can get away with it?
10:04He can start with us.
10:06But it will not end with us.
10:08This is a defining moment in the history of the United States.
10:13We are a nation of immigrants and of rights.
10:17But only if we are brave enough to defend it.
10:20What we do now, collectively and individually, determines what kind of country we are.
10:27I'm asking every Minnesotan and every American to stand with us now and prove to the world, as we have many times before,
10:37that as a nation, we are stronger than any authoritarian dictator.
10:49Good afternoon.
10:50My name is Jamal Osman.
10:52I am the council member for Ward 6, where we are, where a large East African community reside,
10:59and call it home, and call it home for the last 20, 30 years.
11:06Thousands of residents, many of them are U.S. citizens, are living in fear of what the president has said,
11:17and the threat that's coming from federal government.
11:20The fear is not abstract.
11:25It is felt in homes, in schools, in mosques, in the communities.
11:32Even my own daughters, who are 100% American, are asking,
11:38why us?
11:41Why are we getting singled out?
11:46No children should feel unsafe because of their skin, of their religion,
11:55or of the language of their grandparents spoke.
11:59What we're seeing right now that's coming from our president is not just politics,
12:09it's a dangerous act of othering a fellow American.
12:14History warned us that dividing citizens, us versus them, puts nations at risk.
12:21As a council member, my responsibility is to ensure that every resident, every immigrant,
12:31every refugee knows their rights, have access to resources.
12:38So I'm calling out to the entire Somali community in Minnesota.
12:43You're not alone.
12:45We're with you.
12:45You see behind us a wonderful state legislators that came to your community, came to your doorsteps.
12:55We have seen many churches, many organizations, many Americans that do not look like stood beside us
13:04in the last few 48 hours or so.
13:09We are resilient.
13:10We know fear.
13:12We run away from fear.
13:13And now we're facing fear.
13:16And I know we can come over and get over this.
13:20And we'll go through this.
13:21So, Mr. President, we are U.S. citizens.
13:2798 plus of residents of Minnesota are U.S. citizens.
13:32Over 50% are born here.
13:35We are American, as you are.
13:38So let me change your perspective of Somali.
13:40I would like to invite you to Minneapolis.
13:46Put down the hamburger and come grab some Sambusa, some chai tea.
13:51Come to Caramel Mall.
13:52It's a wonderful place.
13:54We contribute a lot to the culture, the music, the art.
13:58What makes Minneapolis and Minnesota wonderful is Somali community.
14:03And we're here to stay.
14:05Hi, my name is Aureen Chowdhury.
14:15I'm the council member to the 12th Ward, and I am the chair of intergovernmental relations.
14:21And I'm also the eldest daughter of working class Bangladeshi immigrants.
14:25And my family, when they came to the cold state of Minnesota for the first time, without their cultural foods,
14:35without the mosque that they grew up and felt welcome in, they found welcoming from our Somali community.
14:44Our Somali community opened doors to stores that had spices that allowed us to make the food that brought comfort.
14:56Had established mosques where we could practice our faith in community with all of our neighbors.
15:02And then also grow our culture and share our culture here in the state of Minnesota.
15:10And today, our Somali community continues to share all they have to give with descendants of German ancestry,
15:21Norwegian ancestry, French-Canadian ancestry, you name it.
15:26And that's what's truly Minnesotan.
15:30That's what Minneapolis truly is about, is this wonderful, amazing exchange of cultures and customs
15:39that I say makes our city the envy of all cities in the state of Minnesota.
15:46The fact that we have cultural corridors, events, markets, all this to give, that creates a very, very vibrant
15:59and unique mosaic in our state.
16:02And I stand before you today as our Somali, Latino, immigrant neighbors have been in the last few days,
16:10last few months, stalked, harassed, kidnapped with no due process.
16:16I've had strange men with masks on their face enter their buildings without permission,
16:24wait outside of their schools, all in a way to break apart our communities
16:31and otherize us and take away the vibrancy that makes Minnesota and Minneapolis so strong
16:37and so unique and also creates the economic engine of this state.
16:43I want to say this is a moment for us all to use our voice to ensure that we do not pit each other
16:53against one another, to stand up for our Somali community, to share the amazing experiences
16:59that we have shared with one another as Minnesotans, and to also understand an attack
17:05on the Somali community is an attack on the Latino community, the Afghan community,
17:10any person who wants to have liberty and freedom in our state and in our country.
17:20And what the president is seeking to do is weakening our nation and making a mockery of it in the world.
17:31To our communities, I want to encourage you to stay vigilant, stay in communication with one another,
17:39know your rights, share what rights are to your neighbors, make copies and carry any valid immigration documentation
17:52and carry proof of citizenship if you have it, because we know that under this Trump regime,
17:59authoritarian regime and Supreme Court, they are targeting people based off of the language that they speak
18:05and the color of their skin. They are racial profiling. In the city of Minneapolis, we have a great resource,
18:13the Office of Immigrant Rights and Refugee Affairs. I encourage you to connect with them to know all of your rights
18:20and then also seek different resources, whether it's legal resources, other community networks.
18:27We have been working diligently to build that up as the city of Minneapolis.
18:30In Minneapolis, I want to remind everyone, we do have a separation ordinance in place that requires that no city
18:38employee, especially our police department, fire department, does not do the work of ICE and does not do
18:45immigration enforcement. And we are currently in the process to strengthen this to ensure that none of our city
18:51resources are used for the purposes of immigration enforcement, that our employees have ongoing training so they are aware
19:00that we are not going to be doing the work of ICE and that there are strong reporting measures in place
19:06to understand if there are requests from the federal government or if actions do take place.
19:14The last thing that I will say is I'm not afraid and I don't think you should be afraid either, because that's the purpose here,
19:22the purpose here to create political theater, to strike fear in our communities, to divide us, to put us in different
19:28silos. But together, across communities of immigrants, whether you're a seventh generation Minnesotan with a German
19:38heritage or a first generation Minnesotan from Bangladesh or our vibrant Somali community, together we are much stronger.
19:48stronger. And they can try to tear apart our families, they can try to break our communities, but they're not
19:56breaking our spirit. They're trying to bury us, but they're forgetting that we are seeds and we will continue to
20:04move forward. Next up, I will welcome Representative Aisha Gomez.
20:10Thank you. My name is Aisha Gomez. I serve as the state representative for District 62A, which is South Minneapolis.
20:23So, you know, I represent and represent Hamoud and Senator Fateh represent a part of town that is being
20:35targeted by Trump's fascist troops. You know, what we see is aggressive and divisive tactics being used on
20:49our streets. And so what's happening right now is that, you know, our neighbors from the Somali community
20:58are being scapegoated. And this is something that happens throughout history and that unfortunately, you know, we've seen
21:06repeatedly in our in our country.
21:11It's a distraction tactic. It's designed to elicit fear and to sow division.
21:18And South Side's not standing for it.
21:22Not in our community, not on our streets, not in our city, not in our state.
21:31And so you heard a couple, a couple speakers talk about, um, how important it is to know your
21:36rights in these moments. And it's important regardless of your immigration status to know
21:40your rights in these moments. Senator Muhammad talked about, um, contacting Republican leadership
21:47today. Well, I'm old enough to remember when Republicans said that they cared about the Constitution.
21:52And so whether they have conveniently forgotten about that in this moment or not,
21:57that document still exists. And that document guarantees rights to people in this country,
22:04regardless of their immigration status.
22:06Because what's true is that if one person in our society doesn't have a civil right, it's not a civil
22:17right. If one person in our society is denied the right to due process, none of us have the right
22:24guaranteed under our Constitution to answer our accusers in a court of law.
22:30And so we have rights in our homes. We have rights as we walk down the streets.
22:41The first thing is that you don't have to answer your door to these people. You don't have to open
22:47your door. Your home is your home. Nobody can enter your home without a signed judicial warrant. You should
22:55know that show up and they will try to gain entry or harm through deception. And they're allowed to do that.
23:09You don't have to answer anyone's questions. You do not have to submit to questioning without
23:13an attorney present. If you are detained by federal agents, say nothing, sign nothing, request an attorney.
23:22If you're in public, ask if you're free to leave. If they say yes, then leave.
23:33Don't share any private information with a federal agent. Don't share your address. Don't share
23:40anybody's name that you're associated with. Ask if you're free to leave. If you are not, request an attorney.
23:47And say nothing further and do not sign any papers. Contact your consulate as soon as you are able
23:54if you're detained by federal agents. And then I want to talk just for a moment to people like me who
24:01are not impacted by this threat in the same way as our beloved Somali neighbors. Because we have an
24:12important role to play in this moment.
24:18I said and I believe firmly that ice is not welcome on the streets of Minneapolis.
24:23They are certainly not welcome in the south side of Minneapolis where they seem to be trying to
24:30take up residence right now. And so as somebody who's not directly impacted, I believe that it's
24:35my responsibility to show up and to communicate to them that they're not welcome here. And I'm willing
24:41to do that in any way necessary. And mostly just asking questions, making noise, letting my neighbors
24:49know. I have my whistle around my neck. A lot of people in the neighborhoods have these. If you hear
24:55a whistle in your community, go out, go and check out what's happening. If you don't have a whistle,
25:00maybe you could get one. It's a way to communicate to people that there is an issue of concern happening
25:07in the streets. Don't be afraid to honk your horns if you see something happening. Don't be afraid
25:13to record. You have the right to record these these activities.
25:21It's up to us in these moments, you know, because what we know, you know, you just read the news.
25:30Activities of this administration are being struck down in courts left, right and center, right?
25:36They have no hesitation about engaging in illegal activities, and they'll just wait and fight in court.
25:44So there's lawlessness among us in that way. And so we know that these tactics are sometimes we need
25:56to come together and disrupt them. And so yeah, I just would say, you know, that we have to stay vigilant.
26:08We have to stand together, be there for your neighbors, learn what your rights are, share them around,
26:14have each other's phone numbers, and know that we have to protect communities in this time.
26:26And that history judges people about how they show up in these moments.
26:30in these moments of, you know, authoritarianism being on the march, in these moments of fascism,
26:41in these moments where people in our community, beloved members of our community are being
26:46scapegoated for a very specific reason, so that none of us pay attention to the fact that they want to
26:51cut tens of millions of people off health care, so that the rich can have a tax cut,
26:55that they want to cut people off of food, so the rich can have a tax cut, okay? They don't want you
27:01to pay attention to the fact that, you know, the billionaires are running our country. They want us
27:07to attack our neighbors. We're not doing that. Thank you.
27:12My name is Doran Clark, D-O-R-O-N Clark. I'm proud to be the senator of the Cedar Riverside neighborhood,
27:30and I'm proud to stand with my Somali neighbors, my Minnesotan neighbors, and say no, and to condemn
27:38these actions. The Somali community is part of what makes Minneapolis great, which makes Minnesota great,
27:46and which makes me proud to be the state senator for this district.
27:52Our neighbors, our Minnesotan friends, came here because they recognized the promise that is America,
27:59the promise that is Minnesota, and I stand with them, and I condemn these attacks, and I'm so proud
28:06and inspired by all of my neighbors who have stood up and said, not on my watch. We stand with our
28:12neighbors. We stand with new Americans. We stand with our Somali friends and neighbors and say,
28:18you are part of Minnesota. You are Minnesotan. You are an American, and I'm proud to be here in
28:25Cedar Riverside. I'm proud to be here in Ward 6, and I'm proud to say that, well, this community is
28:32Minnesota. This community is America, and I'm so glad you're here.
28:43Thank you. I'm also very proud to be here. My name is Scott Dibble, D-I-B-B-L-E. There's no R in my
28:49name anywhere. So good afternoon, and thank everyone for being here. We are here today
28:55today at speaking with one voice as council members, as legislators from the Senate and the House,
29:05as DFLers, to call upon our Republican colleagues to join us in repudiating the hateful and racist
29:14comments made by their party's standard bearer, the president of our country, Donald Trump, when he
29:20referred to Somali Minnesotans and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as garbage. I want to be absolutely
29:28clear. These comments do not exist in a vacuum. They are not simply political rhetoric. They are
29:34dehumanizing attacks aimed at an entire community of Minnesotans, our neighbors, our co-workers,
29:41our family members, our constituents, and our friends. In Minnesota, we know all too well the
29:47consequences of dehumanizing rhetoric because we have lived that. We are still grieving the
29:53assassination of Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the attempted assassination of
29:58our colleague Senator John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their daughter Hope,
30:02acts carried out by an individual radicalized by exactly this kind of language. When leaders in power
30:09demonize and dehumanize, it is not metaphorical. It sets the stage. It gives permission. It likes
30:17a fuse, and it has to stop. I want to speak personally for just a moment. I'm an out LGBTQ
30:24legislator, and my community has been the target of violence, real physical violence because of the
30:29exact same playbook of dehumanization. We have seen far-right elected officials call LGBTQ people
30:36threats, rumors, predators, abominations. We have seen performers demonized. We have seen transgender
30:42youth and their families singled out and shamed. We've seen them fundraised off of our existence,
30:48and we've seen what happens after the words. Armed protesters outside of our gatherings, threats
30:54against our clinics, violence at Pride events, and of course the Pulse nightclub and the Colorado
31:00Springs massacres. Words have consequences. Dehumanization is a runway to violence. Decades
31:08of research make this plain. It erodes the moral inhibitions that usually prevent people from harming
31:14one another. It increases aggression, makes violence not only seem permissible, but justified.
31:20It has played a central role in history's worst atrocities, from the Tulsa massacre, to the Holocaust,
31:26to the Rwandan genocide. It harms mental health, causing fear, isolation, shame, and trauma. And it
31:33reinforces social hierarchies that deny people their rights, their dignity, and even their safety.
31:38So when the president of the United States calls Somali Minnesotans garbage, he is not simply trying to
31:46score political points. He is telling his followers explicitly and implicitly that these families,
31:52these workers, these students, these elders, are less than human. And when leaders stay silent in
31:59the face of that message, they are sending a message of their own. Mahatma Gandhi said,
32:05silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.
32:11And Dr. King said the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people,
32:16but silence of that by the good people. And this, this is one of those moments.
32:23Today, we call upon our Republican colleagues to stand up publicly and reject these racist
32:33political theater because our state, Minnesota, and Somali people are Minnesota, depends on it.
32:42Somali Minnesotans, you deserve to know that your elected officials see you as full human beings,
32:48that we will protect your dignity, that we will not tolerate language that places you at a greater risk
32:53of violence. Every elected official, every one of us, has a moral obligation to stop the slide
32:59toward dehumanization wherever it appears. We cannot claim to value safety or stability or the rule of law
33:06law or even Minnesota's future if we are unwilling to confront the rhetoric that undermines all of
33:12those things. Robert F. Kennedy reminded us, each time a person stands up for an ideal
33:17or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope. Well, let's start that ripple
33:24today. Let us show Minnesotans, especially those who are targeted or hurting or discouraged,
33:31that of moral courage. And to our Somali neighbors, and I should mention that I'm proud to represent
33:38Elia Park along with Councilmember Othman, where many Somali friends live. To our Somali neighbors,
33:45we see you, we value you, you belong here, and we will stand up for you. Thank you.
33:51Let me first say that I want to make it very clear that I stand with the Somali community because they
34:08are our community. And, you know, I was thinking because I heard so many great speeches already and
34:15really people laying out the reality of how important the Somali community is to Minnesota,
34:21but also how important the Somali community is across our wonderful nation. I thought about it,
34:28and here's the thing that I will say. My presence here today is because I represent the African-American
34:33community, but also being the president of the Senate. We understand political violence. We understand
34:40violence against our communities. And so my presence here today is a demonstration and an act of love.
34:49Love is an action word. It's not one of those things that you say and you put it on the shelf,
34:54but you demonstrate love. And I understand it here as
34:59do others who are in the street and other places. They are demonstrating love. I believe that love drives
35:06out hate. But you got to be very intentional about it because if you let hate reign supreme,
35:12then our young people and other people will believe and think that the sort of behavior and the words
35:17that we hear coming from Washington, D.C. are appropriate. I believe that light drives out darkness.
35:25And some people may say, where do you get those things from? Well, you know, there's this little thing
35:30that I read that's called the Bible. And the reason why I'm mentioning that is because some people
35:36believe that it's okay to sell Bibles, but not read Bibles. And you know exactly who I'm talking
35:43about. You can see from time to time that the person has had a Bible in their hand and the Bible's been
35:48upside down. And that's how you can always tell that they're not reading it because it's upside down.
35:53But you also know that they're not reading it because if one's actions only speaks hatred against
36:01another person or another community, then that is not an act of love. And so I want not just the
36:09people who are standing behind me, but those that we've called out, the GOP, people in the African-American
36:14community, people all over, allies, it is important for us to speak up and be bold about it. Martin Luther
36:22King, I thank Senator Dibble for erasing Martin Luther King because one thing that he said is
36:27a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. But my favorite passage is when he
36:34says the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands at the time of convenience and comfort,
36:39but it is where he stands at the time of challenge and controversy. So we're going to be measured by
36:44this moment and whether we step into this moment and we do the things that we need to,
36:48because when one of us hurt, all of us hurt. When one of us is being attacked, we're all being
36:55attacked. So I want us to stand up and I want us to speak out and I want us to be bold. And I want us
37:04to be clear that we all are affected when just one of us are affected. We are linked together. We are joined
37:12together by our human spirit and being connected by our human spirit means that if you move, I move.
37:18If someone's attacking you, they are attacking me. So I am here and I want you to know that I'm going
37:23to do everything within my power to make sure that we protect our Somali community, our Latino community,
37:32any community, every community, because we are all members of the human race. And so I want to just
37:38thank my colleagues for standing. And now we are looking forward to our GOP members joining us.
37:43Thank you so much.
37:50Good afternoon. My name is Jamie Long. I am the House Democratic Floor Leader and a Minneapolis
37:54Representative. I am proud to represent Somali Americans. I am proud that Somali Americans go to
38:00school with my kids. I'm proud to have colleagues who are Somali Americans in the State House and the State
38:05Senate. I am proud to be represented in Congress by the first Somali American to ever go to that
38:11hollowed chamber. The only garbage that we are seeing in our community today are demonization
38:20and othering of our neighbors. The only people who should be leaving our community are the hundred
38:26federal law enforcement folks who were flown in for a political stunt and who are in our community now
38:30arresting citizens and arresting people who are lawfully here. We are seeing these attacks on our
38:37state and our community. And so far, I have not seen one state Republican elected official say anything
38:45back. In fact, I have seen folks like Lisa Damath put out a tweet encouraging the president,
38:53I guess because she wants his endorsement when she's running for governor.
38:56I am proud to be here. We are here with our Somali neighbors because Minnesota is a welcoming place,
39:03because Somali Americans came here fleeing political violence. And now they are facing that here
39:11in our state. We welcomed the Somali community to Minnesota with open arms before and we will hold
39:17out those arms to embrace the Somali community now because they are not going anywhere and they are our
39:21neighbors. Good afternoon. My name is Mahamud Nur. I'm a state representative for this district,
39:31M-O-H-A-M-U-D-N-O-O-R. I know that our community is under attack right now. People are fearful.
39:44But let me tell you this. For some of you who have arrived to the state of Minnesota, the airport,
39:50the people who walk in while you're walking out of the airplane are East Africans, Somalis who are
39:58getting that flight ready to go back. The right that you took from the airport to the place that you
40:04are going probably had a Somali person bring you here. To the different places that you may go,
40:12to the hospitals that you may visit, you will see the doctors, the nurses,
40:17to the schools that you go and you will see the teachers. You see, this is not a unique story to
40:26anybody. We are through and through Americans like any other community.
40:32This place that we are in right now in Cedar Riverside has been called different names.
40:41This is not the first time that this community has been demonized.
40:45It has been called the no-go zone, the shithole, different names.
40:51This is not who we are. This is not who we are as Americans. Forget about being Minnesotans.
41:01We can't be looking people down when we feel that it's politically the right thing to do.
41:08We can justify calling people garbage without getting a response from other people
41:13who are sitting around you. It's not justified to put communities in harm's way.
41:23As you have heard previously, our Speaker of the House, Melissa Hartman and her husband,
41:31was assassinated. And my friend, George Hoffman,
41:36and his wife, Yvette, and their daughter, Hope, are really going through the healing process after
41:47their assassination attempt. As you've heard from my colleagues, we can't justify words that will
41:57create harm. We can allow our colleagues on the other side to be sitting on the sideline
42:03when they know that this is going to create a harm to the community that lives right here.
42:10My four children live in this neighborhood. Our community is united. Our neighbors are standing with us.
42:24I want to let you know that we are all greater than fear. Thank you so much.
42:33And with that, we'll take – thank you to our leaders for being here. We'll take a few questions.
42:37To the Samoan American officials, what sort of impact does language like being called garbage
42:49by the President of the United States, what impact does that have on your community?
42:53Thank you. Thank you so much. First, my name is Omar Fateh. I'm the State Senator representing
43:03Southside Minneapolis District 62. It's O-M-A-R-F-A-T-E-H. The term garbage is not only
43:10hurtful and shameful, but we know that, as our other colleagues mentioned, that language matters,
43:17and language leads to action. And that type of othering, that type of attack leads to
43:23political violence. We've seen our colleagues get attacked and murdered. And I appreciate what
43:29our allies and our elected officials, Jailan Hussain and Senator Champion, mentioned about
43:35the power in organizing around the Somali community. And this is happening because the
43:41Somali community has gained power. We are Uber drivers, we're bus drivers, doctors, lawyers,
43:47elected officials, and having community members stand up with us, especially those from the black
43:53community that paved the way from us. It's their sacrifice and them sacrificing their lives back in
43:58the 60s and through the civil rights movement that allowed us to be where we're at today. You know, my
44:02father came here as an immigrant in 1963. I'm the son of immigrants from Somalia. And the year he came to
44:09America was the same year of that famous speech from George Wallace saying, segregation now, segregation
44:15forever. And what we're seeing right now is a repeat of that history coming back full circle. And as
44:22elected officials, as allies, as community members, as human beings, we're standing up against that.
44:28So there's been a few abductions. I'll put it that way. And we have seen U.S. citizens. It's not only
44:47undocumented individuals. We have seen that that documentation of people who are here legally who
44:55are being detained. And we've also seen an abduction that happened even in the parking lot across from
45:01here. That means they're not looking for specific individuals. They're targeting an entire community.
45:10Anybody who looks like me, whether you're Somali or Romo, West African, or anyone who looks like me is now
45:19on the target list, unfortunately. And that's not how we do law enforcement. That is terrorizing communities.
45:28That is creating a narrative that does not exist. If those two individuals who are detained that didn't
45:35show up in Fox 9 News, who showed up with their cameras at that point, I don't know whether they'll
45:41have been picked up to Wilma or other places to be detained for them just to verify who they are.
45:47That's where we are today. If they're looking for specific individuals, if it's a targeted process,
45:52we will have seen a different response. But this is not targeted response. This is a collective punishment.
45:57And just to be clear, there were two today that happened. One of them were to cross the street from
46:02this facility. I cannot speak of what has happened today, but that is what happened yesterday. But there's
46:09also a lot of folks who have seen them, followed them to make sure that they are giving individuals their
46:15rights, to make sure that they are protected. There are folks who have stood up to make sure
46:19that telling people you don't have to answer any questions and helping them understand
46:24the impact of the raid that is happening throughout this week.
46:28You can answer, but I just want to follow up what's happening. ICE is here. They have been here since
46:44yesterday morning. I saw them myself last night, right here on Cedar Riverside, three SUV,
46:50about 45 minutes, going circles. White dudes with masks. That's what we saw. They are stopping the
46:58citizens. They knocked one door over there, right here in this building. I guess the person they were
47:06looking for wasn't there. So the neighbor opened the door, the right next door, opened the door because
47:12they hear the noise. And they were detained. They're like, what's your documents? So they're not
47:17discriminated. They just want to see who looks like Somali, and that's where they come. So they are
47:22there. And one thing I do want to share, they hate the media. They don't want to be seen. So go out
47:28there and chase them and picture. Take a picture. They don't like that. Once they saw a couple media
47:34came around because I did call media, they drove off. They are out there. They're hiding. They are in the
47:41community and terrorizing them. So ISIS is operating.
47:45Do you know how many arrests there came to be?
47:48Well, in my community, I did not even answer, but I heard
47:53plenty of people. So right now, unfortunately, we just had a press conference this morning with the
47:58Immigrant Law Center and Advocates for Human Rights. These are organizations, obviously,
48:02that have been doing this work supporting our immigrant community. We do not have an actual number,
48:08partially because even if someone is detained, we will not know that information for days.
48:14So the best indicator is the families. We did have some individuals reach out to us yesterday.
48:20There are still reports of people being detained and then being released. But that actual number is
48:27hard to tell at this moment. We are definitely know that as they are targeting the Somali-American
48:33community. As others have said, also, we are deeply concerned about the undocumented community
48:38because our communities are intersected and living together in a lot of times and working together.
48:43So we're deeply concerned about that at this point. There's a question about organizing.
48:46Yeah. So so we yes, we already had existing infrastructure for rapid response.
48:52I think we are at a moment now where we did not expect this escalation this fast.
48:57So we are working. We just had a meeting last night. We're working with other organizations.
49:01We need to ramp up and provide a greater support. We're also asking the local media as they share,
49:07just share basic information about what people should know if they're needing, needing help.
49:12And specifically the general public who are like, how do I, how do I help or what do I do?
49:17And there's information about that. We will continue to provide updated information
49:23through all of our organizations and we encourage the public to share that. There's a lot of
49:27opportunities on social media that are using this moment to try to send false information,
49:34to try to create more fear. We're encouraging the public to get as much information from credible sources
49:40and not to rely on bloggers, influencers, whether they're here or abroad, because there's a lot of
49:45people also pulling old videos of some things that have happened and trying to reignite that as some
49:52something that is currently happening.
49:57And the elected officials in the room speak to what's been like trying to gather information
49:59about what's happening, both from federal authorities, but also from your communities,
50:05as you mentioned, trying to clarify that as well.
50:11I mean, I would say, I think our legislators are collectively all responding as much as they can
50:16to community concerns. We do, we have been in communication with the governor's office and he's
50:20trying to give us as much information as he has. ICE isn't giving any agency heads up across any
50:25jurisdiction, so we know that. We're also getting a lot of emails and contacts. I've had hundreds of
50:30calls and text messages since the article dropped yesterday. And I think one of the most important
50:35things is people want to know what they can do and how they can protect their immigrant neighbors.
50:39There have been building captains, block captains, and so people are organizing in ways I haven't seen
50:44before around this issue.
50:48So the reality is we're getting trickled down. Right now, as I speak to you, someone who was a patient,
50:57they dragged him out and the nurse just sent me a text message saying that that individual who she was
51:05providing services was abducted right now as we speak. So that is the way we're getting information from
51:11our constituents, our friends, and across the state. So many of the individuals who are reaching out
51:17understand that we're going to be looking for resources for those individuals to make sure that
51:22their loved ones have got an access to a legal process. So it's helpful to understand that those
51:29those actions will lead to many folks reaching out to us. From the federal perspective, we will let other
51:35people who are at the federal level from our senators, our congressional leaders deal with the federal
51:41government.
51:51So we're getting messages as things are happening on the ground. And so the first rapid response when
52:02people know that we are the elected officials, they'll be reaching to us to make sure that we can
52:07provide them with the immediate resources for families to track those individuals. One of the
52:12individuals who was abducted is now in Wilma. They were picked up from Minneapolis right here and making
52:17sure that folks can follow them. They will not have discovered if they didn't know how to follow that
52:23through process. So we want to make sure that there is a way for their loved ones to know what is going to happen next.
52:31It was in a medical setting that they were getting service and they were abducted right now.
52:40And I just want to touch on one thing also that as elected officials, we're not just representing our
52:47communities. We are rooted in community. Folks are very well connected to community members.
52:52And so a lot of times we get information directly from people that are impacted. They have our cell
52:57phones. They have our emails. They know our family members. We're all connected to each other.
53:02And what we've heard and what we've seen is that not only have our immigrant communities been targeted,
53:08but a lot of the folks that have been detained and captured are folks that are U.S. citizens,
53:14people that are not only U.S. citizens, but born here, raised here. I've spoken to a lot of young
53:21folks that have said that they have to walk around now with their passports, even though they were
53:27born in America. They've never been to Somalia. Some of them, their parents were born here in America.
53:32And so I think that's a shame and that's unfortunate. But we've seen folks rally the troops neighborhoods,
53:38organizing block by block. We've seen entire apartment buildings organized, forming WhatsApp groups,
53:44group chats. And so what Representative Gomez said earlier today was exactly right, that we must stay
53:50united. We've got to organize together. We've got to get involved, join these group chats, these
53:56neighborhood group chats, whether it's text messages or WhatsApp. Are you going to get some of these
54:02annoying auntie forwarded chat messages that are like chain messages? Probably, yeah, right? But at the
54:08same time, this is the best way in which we can combat this hate and combat this fear. There has been
54:14some false alarms because their level of anxiety is so high and we're trying our best to not only
54:21disseminate information but fact-fine and find out what's real, what's happening, what's not happening.
54:26But we're getting that information directly from the community.
54:28Thank you for that question. I did send an email to our Republican
54:35leaders, both in the House and the Senate, asking them to not only condemn what Donald Trump said about the Somali community, but to come today and stand with us. I have not gotten a response.
54:43I look forward to their response, if they ever want to respond. But we do know that in the past few weeks,
55:02they have been cheering what this president and this administration has been doing.
55:07They have sent letters to their federal Republican delegation telling them, good job, we want you to keep
55:12doing. And so I want an answer for their Somali constituents who are U.S. citizens and whether they
55:18think that they are also garbage and they agree with Donald Trump or not.
55:22This is for one of the Somali committee members. The allegations of the over a billion dollars in fraud and a lot of that money being sent over in Somalia to terrorist organizations and it's all rooting right here in Minneapolis. What's your response on that?
55:41Well, first of all, most of these fraud is wrong, period. Anyone who commits crime against our community should be held accountable, period. It's been over two years. These cases have been handled by the FBI. The FBI has not made any allegations that any of these individuals send money abroad to a terrorist organization.
56:08We know that this alleged was used before as an effort to create this fear. But any crime that is committed by individuals should not be put on the entire community. And that is false and should not happen. And unfortunately, this is not new. We know that minority communities and communities of color are oftentimes criminalized through the actions of individuals.
56:36And this is unfair to our community. And unfortunately, you know, none of those things have been substantiated at all. But crime, crime like fraud is definitely something that impacts all of us. And we're going to do everything possible to ensure that our community responds to that. So with that said, where our phones are blowing up, we are literally trying to figure out how to support our community in the best moments. I really appreciate your time today for covering this. Thank you.
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