Somalis

Somali community inaugurates house honoring former President Farmaajo in Merca as presidency disputes claim over fundraising halt Community elders and residents on Saturday inaugurated a house built in honor of former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in the Ceeljaalle area of Merca town, Lower Shabelle region, a project organizers said was funded entirely by donations from Somalis at home and abroad. The house was constructed under the “Thank You President” campaign, a nationwide fundraising initiative that its…

Measles outbreak in Minnesota’s Somali community tests public health outreach as vaccine fears persist MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota health officials racing to contain a measles outbreak centered in Minneapolis’ large Somali community are confronting entrenched vaccine fears stoked by long-running myths about autism and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shot. Fourteen measles cases have been confirmed statewide since February. About half are in Somali children, six of whom were not vaccinated and one of whom was too young for shots,…

Analysis: Ilhan Omar attack spotlights a volatile clash over Trump’s anti-Somali rhetoric and Minnesota’s immigration crackdown Ilhan Omar was sprayed with a foul-smelling liquid during a Minneapolis town hall Tuesday, an attack that unfolded as the Minnesota congresswoman denounced federal immigration enforcement and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The incident, carried out by a man who rushed the stage with a syringe, left Omar unharmed but underscored a combustible mix: the Trump…

Analysis: At Davos, Trump’s remarks about Somali migrants signal a familiar pattern — rhetoric that shapes policy President Donald Trump’s jab at Somali migrants on the World Economic Forum stage in Davos did more than provoke outrage. It fit a years-long pattern in which inflammatory language about Black and African diasporas is paired with restrictive immigration moves — a feedback loop with real policy and political consequences in places like Minnesota, Maine and beyond. Before a crowd of foreign dignitaries and…

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan security forces have rescued more than 200 migrants from a clandestine underground prison in the southeastern town of Kufra, exposing what authorities described as brutal and degrading detention conditions along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. Officials said the detainees — including women and children from sub-Saharan Africa, primarily Somalia and Eritrea — were found in multiple cells nearly three meters below ground. Some had been held for up to two years. The suspected trafficker…

Libya rescues more than 200 migrants from underground prison in Kufra as abuse allegations mount TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan security forces have rescued more than 200 migrants from a clandestine underground detention site in the southeastern town of Kufra, where authorities say victims were held in brutal, degrading conditions for months and, in some cases, years. Security officials said the migrants were discovered in an improvised prison nearly three meters (about 10 feet) below ground, allegedly run by a Libyan trafficker.…

‘It’s never been like this’: Minneapolis’ Somali Americans under sweeping federal scrutiny On an icy Friday morning in south Minneapolis, Mahad Omar watched armed federal agents sprint past his window and tackle a neighbor to the pavement. They cuffed the man and loaded him into a black SUV. “Minneapolis is a great city,” said Omar, 28, an Uber driver who came from Somalia as a child. “It’s never been like this.” Across a metro area known for its immigrant roots and East African cultural hubs, Somali Americans say…

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will end Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals and begin deportations in March, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday, saying thousands will be required to leave the United States once their protections lapse. In a statement posted to its X account, DHS said, “Our message is clear. Go back to your own country, or we’ll send you back ourselves.” “Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s…

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Tuesday it will terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, requiring those covered by the program to leave the United States or secure another lawful status by March 17, 2026. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that the country “no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status,” and continued designation would be “contrary to our national interests.” The decision affects several thousand…

White House weighs revoking U.S. citizenship for Somalis convicted of fraud amid Minnesota probe The White House said Wednesday it is examining whether to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Somalis convicted of fraud in Minnesota, as the administration escalates a wide-ranging investigation into alleged abuse of federal social service programs. Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, told Fox News the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department are “looking at” denaturalization, calling it “a tool at the…