The number of Somalis in the United States, particularly in Minnesota, who have been ordered to leave the country has risen sharply, with more than 500 Somali nationals in the state reportedly receiving deportation orders.
The figure is about ten times higher than the number notified in 2026, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The newspaper reported that more than 1,000 Somali asylum seekers across the United States have been ordered to leave the country since February, with roughly half of them living in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali-American population in the country.
Some of those affected have already been deported, while others have been transferred to immigration detention facilities, including the U.S. military facility at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
The increase comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has accelerated immigration and asylum proceedings and moved to change policies that had allowed some migrants to remain in the United States while their cases were being considered.
In February, the administration introduced an expedited immigration-court process known as the “rocket docket,” allowing immigration judges to move cases more quickly, including some involving Somali nationals, through remote and online proceedings.
Minnesota has long been a major center of the Somali-American community, with a large population concentrated in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.
The latest developments have therefore attracted particular attention in the state, where immigration advocates and community organizations have raised concerns about the impact of accelerated proceedings and deportation orders on Somali families awaiting decisions on their immigration status.