While the Twin Cities have become the focus of a national debate over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, tensions also have risen sharply in St. Cloud, highlighted by a pair of confrontations between ICE agents and protesters at a Somali shopping center.
Federal agents have been active in St. Cloud since December but residents say they noticed an uptick beginning Jan. 8, aimed at the local Somali and Latino communities. Videos showed ICE agents retreating from angry protesters two days later, on Jan. 10, but they returned on Jan. 12 with reinforcements. Mohamed Jama, executive producer of Xidig TV, estimated that about 80 agents were present at the 33rd Avenue Somali Mall that day.
A heated confrontation erupted around noon between hundreds of residents, who organized themselves on social media sites and in chat rooms, and the ICE agents in the parking lot of the strip mall, which houses several Somali-owned businesses and a mosque.
St. Cloud Council Member Hudda Ibrahim said she received a call from community members who were trapped in businesses at the mall. In a social media post, she said she arrived to a “chaotic and unsafe” scene with hundreds of people shouting at heavily armed ICE agents to leave.
Jama said that more federal agents and local police responded after the protesters blocked the federal agents’ cars in the parking lot. “They eventually had to negotiate with us to find a way out,” Jama said. At the end of the two-hour standoff, the crowd parted and allowed the federal vehicles to exit. As the last vehicle departed, a few individuals banged on its hood.
Among those detained on Jan. 12 were Yonis Mohamed Abdullahi, whose friend Suud Olat described him as an Amazon employee with valid work authorization.
Abdikadir Noor, a U.S. citizen, was also detained, accused of throwing ice at officers after they used pepper spray on him. He was released from custody with visible bruises on his face.
The next day, St. Cloud residents held their largest protest against Trump’s policies, voicing their strong opposition to the actions taken against immigrant communities, particularly Somalis and Latinos.
Jama said hundreds gathered to show solidarity, emphasizing unity and resistance. “The event celebrated cultural traditions, with attendees sharing sambusas and traditional Somali tea, symbolizing togetherness and support for one another.”
Protesters also gathered outside the Holiday Inn in St. Cloud, where they believe ICE agents are staying, blowing whistles and honking their car horns, Jama said.
Most members of the St. Cloud Somali community are U.S. citizens, and community leaders speculate that federal agents are primarily targeting newer refugees with temporary immigration status. Abdikadir Bashir, executive director of the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization, or CAIRO, said 10 people had been arrested in the last two weeks, and nine of them were still in custody.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar condemned the ICE activity. “They evade oversight from Congress, disregard the rule of law, and answer only to the president, not to the people they are meant to serve,” she said in a statement to Sahan Journal.
Harassment, detention, and violence by federal agents are not just breaches of trust; they are assaults on shared values, she said. “Our fight is not just for ourselves, but for the soul of democracy,” she said.
Both Ibrahim and fellow St. Cloud Council Member Karen Larson expressed concern about the impact of immigration agents on the community in St. Cloud.
“Most of the people present [at the Jan. 12 standoff] were law-abiding American citizens. They deserve respect, clear communication, and the same public safety protections as everyone else,” Ibrahim said.
Refugees, asylum-seekers feel targeted
The ICE operations have left many in the community feeling anxious and uncertain about their safety. Lawyer Abdigani Jabane, attorney for many asylum seekers in Minnesota, told Sahan Journal that he has received a surge in calls from refugees and asylum-seekers in the St. Cloud area who are afraid to leave their homes, even though they are in the country legally.
“Some of these individuals have pending asylum cases, while others are refugees who were legally admitted,” he said. “A significant part of my current work involves reassuring these individuals and explaining their rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to refuse entry to ICE unless a judicial warrant is presented.”
“The rapid transfer of some individuals out of Minnesota after detention has complicated matters, forcing attorneys to act quickly to seek emergency temporary restraining orders in federal court before the person is transferred to detention facilities in Texas or Louisiana,” Jabane said.
Community leaders say federal agents have also set up shop in residential parking lots to detain people coming home from work. Abdullahi Hassan, a leader of al-Huda mosque, cited the arrest of Abdi Farah Warfa, a lawful refugee resident in St. Cloud, and father of six, who was taken into custody on Jan. 13, as he returned to his apartment around 8 a.m.
Abdi was transported to a detention facility in Texas, where his family expressed concern about his health. They noted that he relies on medication to maintain his well-being, stating that he struggles to sleep and eat properly without his medication. They emphasized that he did not have his medication when ICE detained him.
A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity also reported that ICE agents detained three people Jan. 12 while they were driving on St. Cloud streets: Amina Mohamed, 16; Khadra Mohamed, 25, and Maryan Roble. Roble was released with visible bruises, the source said. ICE activity in St. Cloud is not limited to the Somali community.
A Latino U.S. citizen who identified himself as Carlos when he spoke to the local media, said he was stopped twice by ICE agents. Carlos, who is a maintenance worker at a local apartment complex, said the agents requested access to apartment units. He refused, citing company policy. Carlos said he knew of two Spanish-speaking individuals who were detained.
