Truth Over Fear: Defending Somali Minnesotans — And Standing With Every Community Under Attack

 

Minnesota has long been defined by a quiet strength — a belief that communities thrive when people look out for each other, tell the truth, and treat neighbors with dignity. From Farmington and Saint Paul to Minneapolis, Rochester, Duluth, and the Iron Range, people build their lives here because Minnesota still tries to live up to its values.

That is why the recent remarks from President Trump about Somali Americans cut so deeply. Calling Somali immigrants “garbage,” implying they are overwhelmingly “illegal,” and suggesting that entire neighborhoods are criminal or fraudulent is not only FALSE — it is corrosive. It undermines trust, inflames hatred, and distorts the public’s understanding of who actually lives here and contributes to the strength of Minnesota.

And while Somali Minnesotans are at the center of this specific attack, they are not the only community Trump has recently targeted with broad, inflammatory accusations. Latino immigrants, Muslim Americans, and African immigrant groups such as Ethiopian, Oromo, and Liberian Minnesotans have all been pulled into the same cycle of misinformation and fear-mongering.

Minnesota deserves better than rhetoric built on fear. Minnesota deserves the truth.

 

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The Numbers Make Trump’s Claims Impossible

 

Let’s start with the Somali community, because they are the ones being singled out most aggressively.

Using the most recent Census-based estimates:

Minnesota’s Somali population:

• 80,000–84,000 Somali Minnesotans statewide

• 58% are U.S.-born American citizens

• Of those who immigrated, 87% are naturalized U.S. citizens

• Only about 430 Somali Minnesotans have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

These numbers matter because they completely dismantle the narrative of “mass illegal Somali immigration.” You cannot claim an entire population is unlawfully present when:

• most were born here,

• most immigrants have already become citizens,

• and the number of TPS holders is a tiny fraction of the whole.

This is not an immigrant crisis.
This is not a legal crisis.
This is not a security crisis.

This is a truth crisis, fueled by reckless political language.

 

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Fraud and Crime Accusations: Facts, Not Fear

 

Trump repeatedly claims Somali Minnesotans are “stealing from the government” or “bringing crime.” These claims rely on:

• selective anecdotes,

• isolated cases, and

• a refusal to acknowledge the broader data.

Minnesota’s high-profile Feeding Our Future case has been weaponized and twisted into a racial narrative — despite the reality that:

• defendants came from multiple backgrounds,

• no terrorism ties were found,

• and the Somali community overwhelmingly condemned the fraud.

On crime more broadly, national research consistently shows:

• Refugees do not increase crime,

• and communities with higher refugee arrivals often see lower crime rates over time.

The facts simply do not support the idea that Somali Minnesotans — or any immigrant group — are inherently criminal.

The only way such a narrative survives is if people never see the real data.

 

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This Pattern Is Bigger Than Somali Minnesotans — Others Are Being Targeted Too

 

Somali Minnesotans are not the only community Trump has recently singled out with sweeping accusations.

1. Latino Immigrants

Trump continues to claim that Latino immigrants — especially Mexican and Central American families — are:

• largely “illegal,”

• part of “invading caravans,”

• fueling crime,

• and committing widespread voter fraud.

None of these claims withstand scrutiny.
Most Latino Minnesotans are either U.S. citizens or lawful residents.
The stereotypes are recycled political tools, not factual assessments.

2. Muslim Americans

Trump has revived language questioning the loyalty of Muslim Americans, suggesting:

• they support terrorism,

• they reject “American values,”

• or they should be monitored or restricted.

Minnesota’s Muslim community — including many Somali, Oromo, and Arab Minnesotans — has long been a pillar of small business ownership, civic engagement, and neighborhood stability.

3. African Immigrant Communities

Ethiopian, Oromo, and Liberian Minnesotans — many of whom came to Minnesota fleeing war, instability, or persecution — have recently been pulled into the same narrative:

• accused of “not assimilating,”

• tied to isolated fraud cases,

• or portrayed as drains on resources.

These claims collapse under the same data-driven scrutiny applied to the Somali community.

The pattern is consistent:

When political pressure rises, these communities become convenient targets.

And when Somali Minnesotans are attacked, every community who has been subjected to similar rhetoric feels the impact.

 

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Minnesota Cannot Allow Division to Define Us

 

When a president calls entire groups “garbage,” “criminals,” or inherently suspicious, that is not policy debate. That is collective punishment based on race, religion, and national origin.

This is McCarthy-style politics — guilt by association, fear as strategy, division as a political weapon.

And Minnesota cannot afford it.

Communities under attack:

• withdraw from public life,

• fear contacting law enforcement,

• hesitate to seek healthcare,

• avoid public institutions,

• and face real-world harassment and discrimination.

Division harms:

• schools,

• employers,

• real estate markets,

• public trust,

• and every day Minnesotans simply trying to build stable lives.

The consequences are not theoretical. They are tangible.

 

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Why Ken Alger Real Estate Cannot Be Neutral When Communities Are Targeted:

 

Real estate is fundamentally about:

• home,

• safety,

• stability,

• and being able to belong where you live.

When immigrant communities — Somali, Latino, Muslim, African — are painted as unwelcome, dangerous, or fraudulent, their housing stability is threatened directly.

People who fear discrimination:

• hesitate to buy,

• hesitate to apply for loans,

• hesitate to rent,

• hesitate to interact with agents,

• and become vulnerable to exploitation.

That is why remaining silent is not an option.

A REALTOR® who believes in community cannot ignore rhetoric that threatens the dignity and safety of the very people who help make Minnesota strong.

Ken Alger Real Estate stands for:

• truth over fear,

• community over division,

• dignity over hatred,

• and belonging over exclusion.

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Minnesota’s Strength Lies in Its People — All of Its People

The Somali community is the current focus of harmful rhetoric, and they deserve a full-throated defense grounded in facts and fairness.

But the deeper truth is broader:

Minnesota is strong because:

• Somali families enrich our neighborhoods,

• Latino workers sustain our industries,

• Muslim Americans strengthen our civic life,

• African immigrants revitalize communities,

• and generations of Minnesotans from all backgrounds continue showing up for each other.

We cannot allow misinformation, political convenience, or racial scapegoating to redefine who belongs in this state.

Everyone who builds a life here —
everyone who contributes, works, raises a family, or seeks the simple right to pursue happiness —
deserves to feel safe, respected, and at home in Minnesota.

No exceptions.
No caveats.
No apologies.

 

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A Minnesota Worth Defending

 

Somali Minnesotans are not the problem.
Latino Minnesotans are not the problem.
Muslim Minnesotans are not the problem.
African immigrant Minnesotans are not the problem.
Immigrants are not the problem.
Facts are not the problem.

Fear is the problem.
Division is the problem.
Deliberate misinformation is the problem.
And rhetoric that tears at our social fabric is the problem.

Minnesota deserves leaders — and neighbors — who do not fall for that.

As long as I have a voice, I will use it to stand with the Somali community and with every other community being targeted today. Because that is what it means to defend Minnesota’s values.

And that is what it means to defend home.