Somali-Americans in Minnesota have told of their heightened fear after US President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of the community this week.
Community leaders told the BBC the apprehension is palpable following Trump's remarks, in which he said he did not want Somalis in the US and the country would go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage.
When you're being targeted by the president of the United States, it's not really a good feeling, Aj Awed, executive director of the Cedar-Riverside Community Council, which represents a town known as Little Mogadishu for its large Somali population.
Concern has also intensified because of reports that officials have begun an enforcement operation in Minnesota targeting undocumented immigrants.
Mr. Awed said the council would discuss the risks of holding an annual event scheduled for next week in-person because of the operation.
The people that are getting caught up in this are people who don't speak that great of English, but who have been citizens for decades, he said. Just because you have an accent does not make you less American.
Trump made disparaging comments criticising the Somali community at the White House on Tuesday. I don't want them in our country, I'll be honest with you… their country is no good for a reason, he said.
Mr. Awed said the comments were dangerous, adding it was not becoming of a president to be just attacking other Americans.
The president was responding to a question about whether Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz should resign over allegations of large-scale fraud in a state social assistance programme.
Dozens of people have been charged over a scheme that federal prosecutors say involved a charity fraudulently billing the Minnesota government for meals for children during the Covid-19 pandemic. A number of Somali immigrants were implicated in that alleged scheme, which ultimately cost the state tens of millions of dollars, according to Kayseh Magan, a former investigator in Minnesota's attorney general's office.
While those accused of involvement represent a small fraction of Minnesota's large Somali population, Trump has repeatedly criticised the community, writing in a post last month that the state has become a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity and alleging last week that hundreds of thousands of Somalians are ripping off our country.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee said it was opening an investigation into Walz's handling of the relief scheme.
The Trump administration said it was also looking into claims Minnesota tax dollars are being funneled into al-Shabab, an Islamist group affiliated to al-Qaeda based in Somalia.
Jamal Osman, a member of the Minneapolis City Council, moved to the US when he was 14 and is a naturalised citizen. He remarked, Anyone who looks like me is scared right now, when speaking about the community's unease over the ongoing immigration enforcement and Trump's comments.
Kowsar Mohamed, who lives in south Minneapolis, has noted an increase in visible ICE activities in the area. We’re seeing boots on the ground activity where folks are just being plucked off of the streets and being asked about their residency status. That's not a data informed approach, she said.
Local community organizations, anticipating increased immigration enforcement, have begun ramping up preparations. One such organization, Monarca, has scheduled legal observer training in Minneapolis to educate residents about their rights during federal immigration activities.
Is there fear? Absolutely. But no one is tucking behind their tail, she stated, highlighting the community's resilience in face of adversity.
