A journey into the Somali community of Minneapolis that Trump used as a pretext to seize the city

"The attack on Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was sprayed with vinegar from a syringe while speaking in public last Tuesday, brought the spotlight back on the Somali community in this Midwestern state. It is unwanted attention, adding to a campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, who for months have been insulting them and blaming the community as a whole for a publicassistance fraud scheme dating back to the pandemic."

"The White House used those crimes some already prosecuted, others still pending as a pretext to order Operation Metro Surge, the deployment of roughly 3,000 federal agents who patrol the city heavily armed, often masked, and in unmarked vehicles. Many immigrants, documented or not, have been confined to their homes since the operation began two months ago. The crackdown has also triggered an uprising in Minneapolis:"

"The pretext of the Somali fraud scandal for the federal occupation doesn't hold up. Of the 80,000 members of that community living in Minnesota, more than 95% are citizens or legal residents, meaning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the feared ICE) has no jurisdiction over them no matter how many times Trump has called them garbage or insisted they should go back to their country which is, in fact, the United States."

"The immigration deployment has also had another unexpected consequence. This month, six federal prosecutors resigned in protest over how the Justice Department is handling the investigation into Good's death, leaving last year's open cases involving medicalassistance fraud in limbo. Quite simply, there is no one left to prosecute them. On January 8, state authorities blocked new applications for 13 assistance programs."

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with vinegar from a syringe while speaking in public. The incident refocused attention on Minnesota's Somali community amid sustained insults and blame from President Trump and the MAGA movement over pandemic-era publicassistance fraud. The White House ordered Operation Metro Surge, deploying roughly 3,000 federal agents who patrol heavily armed, often masked, in unmarked vehicles. Many immigrants, documented or not, have been confined to their homes since the operation began. Fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration police intensified civic resistance in Minneapolis. More than 95% of Minnesota's 80,000 Somalis are citizens or legal residents, limiting ICE jurisdiction. Six federal prosecutors resigned in protest, leaving last year's medicalassistance fraud cases in limbo, and state authorities blocked new applications for 13 assistance programs on January 8.

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