ICE pepper-sprays crowd in Minneapolis Cedar-Riverside
During an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood this week, ICE agents pepper-sprayed protesters who were blocking their vehicles while agents checked residents’ IDs, according to AP video and local reporting. Council Member Jamal Osman says agents detained a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, transported him to a Bloomington detention center, and released him without transportation during a winter storm.
📌 Key Facts
- Location: Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis; detention center in Bloomington
- ICE used pepper spray to disperse protesters blocking vehicles, per AP video
- Council Member Jamal Osman reports a 20-year-old U.S. citizen (Mobashir) was detained and later released without transport
- Event occurred Tuesday–Wednesday during an ongoing federal immigration operation in the Twin Cities
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 107,000 people of Somali descent live in Minnesota, representing about 2% of the state's population in 2024.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to Census data — KTTC
The Feeding Our Future fraud scheme involved the theft of over $250 million in federal funds intended for child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many defendants being members of the Somali community in Minnesota.
Federal Jury Finds Feeding Our Future Mastermind and Co-Defendant Guilty in $250 Million Fraud Scheme — U.S. Department of Justice
As of late 2025, out of 78 suspects indicted in the Feeding Our Future fraud case, more than 50 had pled guilty.
Feeding Our Future — Wikipedia
The poverty rate among the Somali population in Minnesota is 36.4%.
Somali population - Cultural communities — Minnesota Compass
Almost 58% of Somalis in Minnesota were born in the U.S., and of the foreign-born Somalis, 87% are citizens.
5 things to know about the Somali community in Minnesota after Trump's attacks — PBS NewsHour
Somalis in Minnesota have a self-employment rate of 22%.
Minnesota's Somali residents largely work in a few key industries — Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
The Somali community in Minnesota experiences a poverty rate of 58%, with 40% of the community unemployed or not in the workforce.
Bill for Somali youth and workforce development. Saint Paul MN — MN.gov
By 2018, approximately 43,000 people born in Somalia were living in Minnesota.
History of Somalis in Minneapolis–Saint Paul — Wikipedia