Inside ‘Little Mogadishu’: Minnesota’s beleaguered Somali community under a cloud of fraud and Trump attacks

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota is location to the nation’s largest Somali assemblage — a rapidly expanding Muslim colonisation that has go a flashpoint successful nationalist debates implicit integration, payment fraud and however the radical is reshaping the state’s historically Scandinavian, Christian taste landscape.

That scrutiny intensified this week aft President Donald Trump blasted Somali Minnesotans arsenic payment abusers who person been raiding authorities coffers for years. 

"I perceive they ripped disconnected — Somalians ripped disconnected that authorities for billions of dollars, billions each year. … They lend nothing," Trump said, amid quality that immoderate Somalis were progressive successful bilking that authorities retired of hundreds of millions of dollars successful assorted fraud schemes.

"I don’t privation them successful our country, I’ll beryllium honorable with you. Somebody says, ‘Oh, that's not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t privation them successful our country. Their country’s nary bully for a reason. Their state stinks and we don’t privation them successful our country."

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Trump and members of his medication person besides accused the colonisation of committing migration fraud successful bid to bring friends and relatives to the U.S. and again claimed Rep. Ilhan Omar joined her member — a complaint she has repeatedly denied.

For years, accusations of transgression and pack enactment — and the information that a tiny cohort of Somali Minnesotans traveled overseas to articulation al-Shabaab — person formed a agelong shadiness implicit the community’s efforts to assimilate.

A assemblage nether fire

Many Somali residents told Fox News Digital that they are angered that the full assemblage has been saddled with what they accidental is an unfair reputation, blaming a tiny number of fraudsters and criminals for the antagonistic attraction against the radical arsenic a whole.

And present a monolithic COVID-19-era fraud strategy – which prosecutors accidental is the largest pandemic-era fraud lawsuit successful U.S. past – has thrust the colonisation backmost into the spotlight.

At archetypal glance, the prime tin look perplexing: families from an East African federation putting down roots successful a authorities known for subzero winters and harsh conditions.

But the Somali civilian warfare forced thousands to fly their homeland opening successful the 1990s, with exile resettlement and household reunification swelling the Somali colonisation successful Minnesota to astir 80,000 to 100,000, depending connected the estimate. One section person told Fox News Digital the existent fig is apt person to 160,000.

Like galore migrant groups earlier them, Somalis person brought their ain customs and traditions — and person made their people connected the neighborhoods wherever they’ve settled.

The Riverside Plaza flat analyzable successful Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, a densely populated country location to 1 of the nation’s largest Somali communities. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

Advocates accidental Somalis person woven themselves into Minnesota beingness — moving restaurants and moving successful nursing, trucking, factories and filling buying centers similar the Somali-themed Karmel Mall successful Minneapolis. They reason the community’s existent communicative is 1 of hard work, civic pride, and assimilation — not the isolated crimes that drawback headlines.

The largest clump of Somalis successful Minneapolis is successful Cedar–Riverside, a vicinity conscionable southbound and westbound of downtown that has earned the nickname "Little Mogadishu," a motion to Somalia’s superior city. The sanction reflects the area’s sweeping demographic and taste transformation.

‘Little Mogadishu,' a vicinity transformed

When Fox News Digital visited Cedar–Riverside, the country felt astir hollowed retired — run-down, similar a poverty-stricken inner-city neighborhood.

On a Saturday afternoon, the streets were quiet, lined with shuttered storefronts and once-lively bars from years past, portion a fistful of East African restaurants carried connected with a dependable travel of section patrons. Some closed shops with faded English signs present displayed "coming soon" notices successful Arabic.

The Riverside Plaza analyzable — a clump of 1970s-era brutalist factual towers — loomed ample implicit the neighborhood. Its once-vibrant multicolored panels person faded with time, mirroring the on-the-ground consciousness of deterioration and property — a reflection of the neighborhood’s shifting fortunes.

Outside, beside a thoroughfare motion speechmaking "Somali St," a pistillate dressed successful agleam greenish offered bottles of h2o for merchantability to passing drivers portion flocks of pigeons flapped and spiraled up extracurricular the towers.

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The Islamic telephone to supplication rang retired from a adjacent mosque occupying an older commercialized building, echoing implicit an bare thoroughfare and done the factual courtyards — a dependable that felt some peaceful and eerie successful the stillness.

Men gathered extracurricular the mosque, immoderate wearing kufis for Friday prayers, portion women passed by successful hijabs and abayas — a show inactive unfamiliar to galore Americans, though present a regular portion of regular beingness successful Minneapolis.

Faith and authorities were disposable here. 

The time before, the liveliest country unfolded arsenic radical entered and near different mosque connected a country street, its windows boarded up, portion governmental gait signs for mayoral campaigner Omar Fateh dotted the writer outside, arsenic did ones for Council Member Jamal Osma. Both are progressives similar Ilhan Omar, who has go the community’s astir disposable nationalist figure.

Mosques, religion and identity

Jaylani Hussein, enforcement manager of CAIR–Minnesota, said that religion remains cardinal to Somali life, but besides serves arsenic a span to their caller home.

"Religion grounds us," helium said. "It helps america physique subject and community, and it’s portion of wherefore Somalis person been capable to win here." 

The show of Muslim garb is simply a striking alteration for a vicinity that was erstwhile a European migrant enclave and, much recently, a hub for students and euphony lovers drawn to the University of Minnesota’s West Bank and Augsburg University campuses nearby.

Many of the aged watering holes — similar Palmer’s Bar, which predates World War I — person struggled and closed amid changing demographics, shifting drinking habits and declining ft traffic. Alcohol is forbidden successful Islam.

Palmer’s, which sits beside the commercialized gathering turned mosque, has reportedly been purchased by the mosque. The congregation besides bought the now-shuttered Nomad World Pub straight crossed the street, residents said, erstwhile a section mainstay for shot fans and unrecorded music. In the 1990s, Minnesota had lone a fistful of mosques. Today, determination are astir 90 statewide, Hussein said.

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The Cedar Cultural Center — 1 of the past survivors of the West Bank’s aged euphony corridor — inactive hosts musicians and artists, a reminder that Cedar–Riverside hasn’t wholly mislaid its originative pulse.

A fewer residents appeared precocious connected drugs, huddled successful doorways, the signs of addiction hard to miss. 

In the evening, a radical of Somali volunteers wearing orangish high-visibility vests gathered successful the municipality square, offering aesculapian assistance to those who had overdosed oregon fallen ill. 

One antheral said helium had served clip successful jailhouse for a gang-related crime, but denied being portion of one. Another young antheral said helium had conscionable moved from South Dakota to rebuild his beingness aft being jailed for murder, but was fto retired aft being wrongly accused.

"As soon arsenic we entered the neighborhood, it was instantly similar the demographics changed," Luke Freeman, a young achromatic antheral who was visiting the metropolis from Wisconsin with a friend, told Fox News Digital. 

"Cedar–Riverside is precise distinctly Somali. It’s a much rundown vicinity — not bad, but surely a rougher portion of town."

The brace said they had heard astir "Little Mogadishu" and wanted to cheque it out, complimenting a repast they had conscionable finished astatine a section East African restaurant.

Most older Somali residents, known arsenic "elders," spoke small English but were welcoming, though women were acold much reluctant. Younger Somalis were warmer and much talkative, greeting visitors with "bro" and anxious to sermon day-to-day beingness successful Minneapolis and their African heritage. Some admitted they wanted to beryllium much westernized to blend in; different boasted that his rap video had millions of views connected YouTube.

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"It’s been large truthful far. Welcoming. ‘Minnesota nice,’ arsenic we telephone it," said Abdi Fatah Hassan, who came to the U.S. successful 2004 astatine property 13. "Thank God I’m successful a large community. It’s close-knit, benignant of feels similar backmost home. You’re not conscionable thrown successful the heavy end; radical amusement you things, assistance you grow, assistance you accommodate to the country."

"Every assemblage has its atrocious apples. Don’t justice the fewer for the many. Most of america are hardworking, honorable Americans — patriots, you could say."

Hussein, of CAIR–Minnesota, said that antagonistic property astir transgression often overshadows the contributions Somalis person made to the authorities — adjacent arsenic the assemblage continues to look persistent challenges.

"Somalis successful Minnesota are hard-working folks — galore of them enactment 2 jobs, and yet astir 75% are inactive poor," helium said. "There are entrepreneurs, palmy restaurants, radical successful trucking, IT, and adjacent firm America, making important changes. But those affirmative stories don’t get overmuch attention."

About 36% of Somali Minnesotans lived beneath the poorness enactment from 2019 to 2023 — much than triple the U.S. poorness complaint of 11.1% — according to Minnesota Compass, a statewide information project. Somali-headed households reported a median income of astir $43,600 during that period, acold beneath the nationalist median of $78,538.

Hussein added that Somali Minnesotans are a "very young community, inactive maturing politically and socially," but already shaping neighborhoods done tiny businesses and civic engagement.

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Karmel Mall: the community’s beating heart

Hussein’s constituent was borne retired astatine Karmel Mall, astir 3 miles southwest of Cedar–Riverside, a multi-story analyzable buzzing with activity. The promenade houses much than 200 Somali- oregon East African–owned businesses with modest-looking stores. Its floors are mazes of constrictive corridors packed with African covering stalls, salons, barbers, jewelry stores and halal eateries.

When Fox News Digital visited the promenade connected a caller Saturday evening, shoppers were anxious to sermon beingness arsenic Somali Americans. Many men drank java oregon beverage precocious into the evening, the spot humming similar a societal club. It besides has a mosque. 

Mahmoud Hussain, a barber and first-wave Somali accomplishment successful the 1990s, was cutting a child’s hairsbreadth portion a enactment of customers sat waiting outside. He said helium was grateful for the accidental America had fixed him. 

"Somali radical are giving, loving, beardown successful their roots and they accommodate to different cultures," Hussain said with a agleam smile. 

"We came from Somalia to America straight post-war. We were 1 of the archetypal radical to travel retired and physique a halal assemblage and money-transfer businesses," helium said of his family. Most radical were doing taxis astatine the clip — conscionable getting done the day."

"When we came here, it was similar a golden unreserved — everybody was talking astir Minneapolis."

"Growing up here, you person a generational spread betwixt your parents and knowing the nine here. But America’s a melting cookware — we’re trying to get our ain ft into our roots portion embracing the state that accepted us."

A tiny framed motion supra 1 of his mirrors read, "In God We Trust." 

He beamed with excitement erstwhile asked astir it. "It means everyone’s God," helium said. A elemental enactment helium believes bridges his Muslim religion with the state helium present calls home.

From left: hairsbreadth stylist Ferdowsa Omar, hairsbreadth stylist Najma Mohammad and barber Mahmoud Hussain enactment successful the Karmel Mall successful Minneapolis. ((Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital))

A assemblage moving to beryllium seen

Nearby, a pistillate moving successful a covering store said she is simply a bundle technologist astatine eBay successful California. She came to the United States from Somalia astatine property 19 connected a scholarship, pointing retired that not everyone arriving from Somalia is simply a exile and that Somali women are thriving successful fields erstwhile closed to them.

She said she is immensely arrogant of her occupation successful a traditionally male-dominated sector, "because we walk truthful galore categories of being a minority," she said. 

"First of all, we're achromatic successful tech. Then we're women, past we're Muslim women, past we are Somalis. So you see, there's a batch of categories of number that we autumn under… You’ve got to person the skills which means you got enactment successful the effort."

Meanwhile, arsenic the nighttime drew to a close, a radical of young women wearing hijabs were cleaning up wrong a salon. Laughs and giggles spilled extracurricular the half-closed shutter door, but nevertheless they excessively wanted to stock their lived experiences increasing up successful Minneapolis. 

"There’s a large community, truthful it feels welcoming and weird astatine the aforesaid time," said Najma Mohammad, a hairsbreadth stylist who came to the U.S. arsenic a child. 

Somali American barber Mahmoud Hussain trims a young customer’s hairsbreadth astatine a barbershop wrong the Karmel Mall successful Minneapolis.  (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

"Most radical deliberation conscionable due to the fact that immoderate radical are atrocious and Somali, that each Somali is atrocious — which is conscionable a stereotype. We’re not the radical we are seen as. Most of america are present to marque a quality successful the satellite and to marque our parents proud."

Fellow hairsbreadth stylist Ferdowsa Omar, who came to the U.S. successful 2016 from Ethiopia, said religion and the wearing of the hijab were often met with curiosity.  

"In the beginning, it was benignant of hard not knowing the language, but arsenic I grew older, I recovered myself due to the fact that I grew up with my people," Omar said. "Some radical didn’t cognize what hijab was, and erstwhile we were young, they utilized to look astatine america similar they were confused, but they were ever respectful astir it."

"I personally don’t deterioration [the hijab] each day, but erstwhile I do, I consciousness beauteous — I consciousness myself," Omar said earlier Mohammad chimed in. 

"It's a spiritual act, truthful you tin deterioration it if you want," Mohammad said. "And if you don't privation to, you don't person to. But my ma and my dada person taught maine to deterioration the hijab for spiritual reasons."

For them, Karmel Mall and the salon correspond much than a job; they’re harmless spaces to work, link and amusement that Somali and East African women are thriving.

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A motion marks the entranceway to Karmel Mall, 1 of the largest Somali buying centers successful Minneapolis. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

As the stores began closing, the archetypal level remained afloat of chatter arsenic men sat astir tables sipping coffee. There are nary bars for Muslims — the promenade itself is the night's societal center.

Back successful Cedar–Riverside, down the factual towers, 2 shot games unfolded connected an all-weather tract nether the floodlights played by Somali men successful their 20s and 30s.

For astir Somali Minnesotans, this is mean beingness — work, supplication and play.

"Minnesota has had 30 years with the Somali assemblage — and ninety-five percent of it has been positive," CAIR's Hussein said. 

"We’ve been present 30 years. We’re nary longer newcomers. Our children were calved present — they are Minnesotans now."