Somali Minnesotans Navigate TPS Uncertainty

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: Coming up, a Republican State Senator calls the President out for referring to Somali Americans as garbage. Then, Somali community members react to the increased hostility they say the federal government is creating in our state. And Minnesota mourns the loss of a music legend. I'm Chantel SinGs.
Republican State Senator Jim Abeler took a rare stance by writing Donald Trump directly to express his displeasure with the President calling Somalis garbage. In his letter to the President, Senator Abeler says that Somalis in our state are businesspeople, nurses, students, and clerics supporting their families. The letter goes on to say that Somalis left their country to avoid being killed in a civil war. The Senator even invited President Trump to travel to Minnesota to meet some of his Somali friends.
Up next…The President's decision to remove Temporary Protective Status for Somalis in the U.S. is creating quite a hostile environment, even for Somalis who are legal residents. Jamad Jama has the story.
Jamad Jama: Right now, there's a lot of conversation about how Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is impacting Somali Minnesotans and other immigrant communities.

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TPS is a federal immigration designation that allows people from countries facing conflict to live legally in the United States.

Ahmed Abdi: People who are coming from Somalia, there is a reason that they are here. It is the security back home, it's not safe. So a lot of people are looking for refuge.

Jamad Jama: That's Ahmed Abdi, a Somali radio host in St. Cloud who works closely with the local community.

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the country, and for decades many have relied on this status. Now that stability feels uncertain.

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Ahmed Abdi: It's a very intense situation. A lot of people in our community are scared, even permanent residents and people who have their greencards. No matter who you are, it's very stressful.

Jamad Jama: This fear is heightened by rhetoric at the federal level. Earlier in this month, President Donald Trump made disparaging remarks about Somali immigrants. Comments that community leaders and advocates say are creating a divide within Minnesota.

Ahmed Abdi: That's very dangerous because people hear their leaders, and that's what radicalizes society. We're hearing from the community that some people are now suspicious about Somali people in general.

Jamad Jama: Part of how Ahmed addresses these concerns is by sharing accurate information across the airwaves on KZYS-LP, a St. Cloud based Somali radio station.

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Ahmed Abdi: The radio did become a main way for local people to get information. In this particular case, we aired an interview we had with an immigration attorney. We interviewed him in the Somali language and he answered a lot of questions.

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Jamad Jama: Beyond the radio, community organizers are also seeing the effects of divisive federal rhetoric firsthand.

Khalid Omar: My name is Khalid Omar, I am a community organizer with ISAIAH.

ISAIAH is a coalition of different communities across our state who are coming together, who cares about justice, who cares about economic empowerment of different communities.

Jamad Jama: Khalid says that fear intensifies with the presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement – or ICE – agents in Minnesota.

Khalid Omar: We see the presence of ICE on our streets, people are extremely terrified. Many people are afraid to go to their malls, places of worship. In some of the cases we're hearing, people are being questioned by ICE agents whether they have paperwork or not.

Jamad Jama: And in response to that fear, Khalid says his work at Isaiah has become just as much about action as it has about community advocacy. After recent ICE encounters in Minneapolis, the ISAIAH group...

Khalid Omar: Already had a rapid response network that came together and was ready to push back. We're able to utilize our people power and lead with our values.

Jamad Jama: Khalid says in times of division, Minnesotans have a responsibility to support and step up for one another.

Khalid Omar: The reality is Somali Americans and other immigrant communities are our neighbors. We're at a pivotal moment in our country, and we have to make sure we stand up for what's right.

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Jamad Jama: Right now, TPS for Somalis is still valid through March 17, 2026. But conversations at the federal level- from the debate over Somalis' place in Minnesota to the inflammatory rhetoric aimed at them- have real impacts. For now, Somali Minnesotans are navigating that uncertainty together.

For North Star Stories, I'm Jamad Jama.

ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.

Music lovers are mourning the loss of Garry George Johnson, more commonly known as Jellybean Johnson. Perhaps best known for his work as a drummer for Morris Day and The Time, he was described as a visionary, musician, and mentor. Johnson, who died at the age of 69, was laid to rest over the weekend. Though he was born in Chicago, he became famous after moving to Minnesota. Johnson's memory, legacy, and work live on at the Minneapolis Sound Museum, which he founded with his partner.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.