Twin Cities child‑care centers say ICE raids traumatize kids
Child‑care providers in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area report that recent ICE enforcement actions around their centers — part of the broader Twin Cities immigration surge — have left young children sobbing, regressing, and afraid to come back to care. Directors describe agents showing up during drop‑off and pick‑up hours, some in tactical gear, and say parents have pulled children out or kept them home out of fear, disrupting attendance and staffing. Providers stress that many of the families and even some workers are U.S. citizens or lawfully present, but say the presence and tactics of ICE around early‑childhood settings are "terrorizing" whole classrooms, not just specific targets. They are urging federal authorities to stay away from child‑care facilities and warning state and local officials that the combination of raids and frozen child‑care payments is pushing already thin centers toward the breaking point.
📌 Key Facts
- Metro child‑care centers report ICE operations taking place in or immediately around their facilities during business hours.
- Providers say children are exhibiting signs of trauma (crying, separation anxiety, regression) after seeing armed agents and chaotic scenes.
- Some parents have withdrawn or stopped bringing children, and operators warn the combination of enforcement and funding freezes threatens their viability.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota's Somali population is approximately 79,449, representing about 1.4% of the state's total population, with 78.1% residing in the Twin Cities area.
Somali population - Cultural communities — Minnesota Compass
In Minnesota's fraud schemes involving social services and child-care programs from 2020-2026, 98 defendants have been charged, with 85 of Somali descent.
Minnesota fraud hearing sparks immigration clash as GOP lawmaker spotlights Somali welfare data — Fox News
Adult Somali immigrants in Minnesota have a poverty rate of 37.5%, compared to 6.9% for adult natives.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Somali Minnesotans generate over $500 million in income annually and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes.
Human beings have intrinsic worth — American Experiment
The large Somali community in Minnesota resulted from refugee resettlement starting in the 1990s, driven by civil war in Somalia, with organizations like Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities facilitating the process.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
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