“ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is already here,” said Kowsar Mohamed, who lives in south Minneapolis. The city is home to more than 80,000 people of Somali descent.
“We’re seeing boots on the ground activity where folks are just being plucked off of the streets and being asked about their residency status. That’s not a data informed approach,” she said.
“Most folks have the identification necessary, so the fear is not around proof. The fear is around mistakes happening.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, denied that any people would be targeted based on race.
“Every day, ICE enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally.”
Local community organisations had been anticipating increased immigration enforcement, but after Trump’s comments they ramped up preparations, Ms Mohamed said.
One organisation, Monarca, has scheduled “legal observer training” in Minneapolis to educate people on their rights when witnessing federal immigration activity.
Other ways the community is bracing itself, Ms Mohamed said, is by having emergency contacts ready-to-go in case of ICE encounters, and private messaging groups where people share photos of unmarked cars and masked agents.
“Everyone is just going to be in the space of caution,” she said.
“Is there fear? Absolutely. But no one is tucking behind their tail.” BBC
