Minnesota Somalis Condemn Trump After FBI Raids Ilhan Omar's Home
Community members express feeling attacked and see the raid as an abuse of power.
Members of Minnesota's Somali community, including Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman, have strongly criticized President Donald Trump and his administration following a federal raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., residence. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant at Omar's home early Monday morning as part of an investigation into potential immigration fraud related to her citizenship paperwork.
Osman, who was born in Somalia, stated that the Somali community feels "attacked by President Trump." He described the actions as a violation of the U.S. Constitution and due process, expressing concern that Trump's administration is "terrorizing our community." He further added, "We have seen the threats, the horrific language he uses against my community. It's unacceptable and we're hoping this could stop."
Another Somali resident in Minneapolis, who identified himself only as Abdi, echoed these sentiments, calling the raid an attempt by Trump's "regime" to "dehumanize and also humiliate someone that is part of the Congress." Abdi claimed Trump "hates Somali people because of Ilhan Omar" and that this animosity fuels harassment against Somalis in America.
Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the investigation could lead to Omar's denaturalization. Her phone, passport, and computers were reportedly seized during the raid. Omar, through a social media post, denounced the raid as an "outrageous abuse of power" and "an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies."
President Trump, when asked about the raid, described Omar as "totally crooked" and "a terrible person," but stated the matter was up to the Department of Justice and that he had "nothing to do with it."
The raid has amplified existing tensions and concerns within the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, a significant population in the state. Community members view the federal action against a sitting congresswoman as a personal affront and a worrying precedent for the use of government power against political adversaries and minority groups. Osman emphasized that Somalis in America are citizens and should be treated as such, urging the president to cease such actions.