Minneapolis Somali Businesses Feel the Heat

In the heart of Minneapolis, a usually bustling hub of Somali businesses now echoes with silence. Karmel Mall, home to over a hundred shops, is seeing fewer customers and more closed signs. The reason? Fear. Fear of immigration raids, fear of being targeted, and fear of the unknown. The Somali community in Minneapolis is the largest in the U. S. Karmel Mall is more than just a place to shop; it's a community center with housing, a mosque, and Quran classes. But lately, it's seen a significant drop in business. Abdi Wahid, who works at his mom's convenience store, says it's been like this for weeks. "Everywhere it's all been closed up, all the stores, " he says. The crackdown on immigration, dubbed "Operation Metro Surge, " has everyone on edge. But it's not just immigrants who are scared. Citizens are also hesitant to visit the mall, especially after recent incidents like the killing of Renee Good and an ICE raid at Roosevelt High School. "I think that caused a lot of people to not even want to come, " Wahid says, fearing they could be targeted "just because of their race. "The impact is far-reaching. Bashir Garad, who runs Safari Travel & Accounting Services, has seen his customers cancel trips. They're worried about not being allowed back into the country. "They see a lot of unlawful things going on in the city, " Garad says. "They look at something bad, and then they think some bad things may happen to them. " Ibrahim Dahiye, who sells electronics, has seen his business drop by $20, 000 a month. He's now pooling funds to make rent. "I don't know what we can do, " Dahiye says. "We believe in Allah, but we can't do anything. " The economic impact is clear. But the human impact is just as significant. Fear is keeping people away from their businesses, their jobs, and their community. And until that fear subsides, the struggle continues.