'We believe in Allah, but we can't do anything': Somali shops reel in Minneapolis because ICE is bad for business | Fortune

"Rows of businesses stood shuttered inside a sprawling complex of Somali businesses on a recent afternoon. Karmel Mall in south Minneapolis contains more than a hundred small businesses in suites offering everything from clothing and food to insurance and accounting services. On Thursday, the noisy hallways inside lay quiet, save for occasional chatter between neighboring vendors. The smell of fried food still wafted from the bakeries, the central heating hummed and the sound of Quran recitation flowed quietly from some shops."

"But many sellers sat alone in their clothing stores, waiting for the occasional customer to walk by. Everyone is afraid of federal immigration agents, business owners said. Sellers and customers, citizens and noncitizens. Some don't bother opening shop because they aren't expecting any customers. "It's been like this for three weeks now," said Abdi Wahid, who works at his mom's convenience store in the mall. "Everywhere it's all been closed up, all the stores.""

"The economic impact of the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge" stretches beyond the Somali community: many immigrants are on edge, afraid to go to work or leave their homes amid the immigration crackdown. But President Donald Trump has made the Somali community a special target of his deportation rhetoric after a recent government fraud case in Minnesota included a number of Somali defendants. Since December, Trump has made numerous jabs at the community, calling them "garbage" and saying "they contribute nothing.""

Karmel Mall in south Minneapolis houses more than a hundred small businesses, housing, a mosque and community services serving the largest Somali population in the U.S. Many storefronts and suites stand shuttered and hallways that were noisy are now quiet, with only occasional vendor chatter. Business owners report customers have stopped coming because of widespread fear of federal immigration agents tied to a Trump administration enforcement surge. Citizens and noncitizens avoid opening shops or leaving homes. Owners report steep declines in daily customers, and some attribute the drop to presidential rhetoric targeting the Somali community after a recent fraud case.

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