The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday (December 4) that five Somalis were arrested in an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The statement revealed that the arrests began on Monday. While the total number of arrests was not disclosed, personal information for 12 detainees was provided, with 5 individuals hailing from Somalia and the others from Mexico and El Salvador.
The statement described all 12 individuals as dangerous criminals, with criminal records including fraud, vehicle theft, sexual offenses, and drunk driving.
Mayor of Minneapolis, Democrat Jacob Frey, strongly criticized President Trump’s attacks on the Somali community in the city on Thursday, urging Americans to “love and respect” the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota.
During a televised cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Trump mentioned media reports of fraudulent activities within the large Somali population in Minnesota.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Monday that the Treasury Department is investigating an allegation that tax money in Minnesota was misappropriated by a non-profit organization to fund the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson recently stated in a press release that during the pandemic, fraudulent organizations from the Somali community in Minnesota conducted large-scale theft of the state’s welfare funds, with three cases forming a “complex criminal network, stealing billions of taxpayer dollars.”
(This article references reports from Reuters)