# Minneapolis–St Paul (Twin Cities), Minnesota, USA

> Largest Somali community in the US.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/diaspora/minneapolis-st-paul/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who lives there

 Largest Somali community in the US. About 108,000 Somalis in Minnesota out of about 259,000 in the US (ACS 2024; margin of 10,000 to 20,000) ([News From The States / Minnesota Reformer](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/most-somali-people-america-and-minnesota-are-citizens)). About 33,500 in Minneapolis city itself ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/how-many-somalis-live-minneapolis-dec-2025)). Most are citizens: only about 4,200 of 80,000+ were non-citizens in Census data, many of them green-card holders ([Sahan Journal](https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-twin-cities-sweep/)). US-born share rose from 19% (2001) to nearly 39% (2023) ([News From The States](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/most-somali-people-america-and-minnesota-are-citizens)). Hub: Cedar-Riverside ("Little Mogadishu") ([The Nation](https://www.thenation.com/article/society/somali-americans-trump-minnesota-dispatch/)); also Somali malls such as Somali 24 Mall ([Sahan Journal](https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-twin-cities-sweep/)). About 1,100 Somalis nationally held TPS, 1,400 more pending ([Minnesota Lawyer](https://minnlawyer.com/2026/01/13/trump-ends-tps-somali-immigrants/)).

## Work and money

 Early arrivals worked in meatpacking; now health, education, finance, small shops and restaurants; many mall shop owners are older women who barely cover rent ([Twin Cities Business, 2017](https://tcbmag.com/the-complicated-reality-behinds-the-story-of-somali-success-in-minnesota/)). Somali-headed households: median income about $33,500, 12% own homes, over half housing cost-burdened (2017–21) ([MN Compass](https://mncompass.org/data-insights/articles/importance-data-disaggregation-minnesotas-black-communities)). Remittances: Somali Americans sent $1.73 billion in 2023, about 16.5% of Somalia's GDP; typical sender sends $450–500 a month ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/10/feds-making-it-harder-for-immigrants-to-send-money-to-family/)).

## Who serves the community

 City of Minneapolis (Mayor Jacob Frey), City of St Paul, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, State of Minnesota. Somali-American officials include Rep. Ilhan Omar (US House), State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, State Sen. Omar Fateh, State Rep. Mohamud Noor, Council Member Jamal Osman ([Sahan Journal](https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-twin-cities-sweep/)). Community groups: Pillsbury United Communities / Brian Coyle Center, CAIR-MN, MIRAC, Legal Aid, mosques ([Sahan Journal](https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/ice-enforcement-somali-immigrants-minnesota-twin-cities-sweep/); [Spokesman-Recorder](https://spokesman-recorder.com/2025/12/28/cedar-riverside-ice-raids/)). No armed groups.

## What the community faces now

- Dec 2025–Feb 2026: Operation Metro Surge, about 3,000 federal agents, about 4,000 arrests, three people shot and two killed; framed as targeting Somalis. Wind-down announced 12 Feb 2026, though ICE activity continued ([News From The States](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/timeline-operation-metro-surge)).
- Shops in Cedar-Riverside lost customers or closed early; weddings postponed, daycares closed ([Spokesman-Recorder](https://spokesman-recorder.com/2025/12/28/cedar-riverside-ice-raids/); [The Nation](https://www.thenation.com/article/society/somali-americans-trump-minnesota-dispatch/)).
- 13 Jan 2026: TPS for Somalia ended, effective 17 Mar 2026 ([Minnesota Lawyer](https://minnlawyer.com/2026/01/13/trump-ends-tps-somali-immigrants/)).
- Sending money home got harder: 1% federal remittance tax from 1 Jan 2026; FinCEN order (effective 12 Feb 2026, to 10 Aug 2026, extendable) makes Hennepin/Ramsey transfer firms report sends of $3,000+ ([Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/03/10/feds-making-it-harder-for-immigrants-to-send-money-to-family/)).

**Top needs (for the mission at home):**
1. Clean, documented, legal channels for money home, now under scrutiny.
2. Trust: a public record that Somali money does good, to counter fraud and terror smears.
3. Remote paid work for people in Somalia, using diaspora skills and firms.
4. A counted, organised diaspora (skills, voice) after a frightening year.
5. Somalia's story and dead remembered by a US-born generation (39%).

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