How many Somalians in MN are legal citizens
Executive summary
Most reporting and census-based summaries say the vast majority of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens or legal residents: estimates put Minnesota’s Somali-descended population between about 76,000 and 108,000, with roughly 84,000 concentrated in the Twin Cities and about 58% born in the U.S.; among foreign‑born Somalis in Minnesota, around 87% are naturalized citizens and only a few thousand are non‑citizens (estimates of non‑citizens range around 5,000–5,800) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Major outlets and local officials emphasize that only a small pool would be directly subject to deportation actions — e.g., just over 700 hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — and most Somalis are citizens or lawful permanent residents [5] [6] [7].
1. What the numbers say: scale and citizenship breakdown
Census‑based reporting gives a range for Minnesota’s Somali‑descent population — commonly cited figures are roughly 76,000 to 108,000 statewide, with about 80,000–84,000 in the Minneapolis‑St. Paul area — and most analyses stress that a majority were born in the U.S. (about 58%) or are naturalized citizens; among foreign‑born Somalis, roughly 87% are naturalized U.S. citizens [8] [2] [1] [9]. Local news and state demographer summaries put the number of non‑citizens substantially lower — for example, some reports cite about 5,000–5,800 Somali residents in Minnesota who are not citizens [4] [3].
2. Small groups at legal risk: TPS, asylum and final orders
The pool most immediately affected by federal enforcement plans is small. Reporting notes just over 700 Somali nationals have Temporary Protected Status, a temporary humanitarian designation the administration has targeted, and there are additional individuals with outstanding immigration or asylum cases — but these groups are a fraction of the statewide Somali‑descent population [5] [6]. Officials and advocates emphasize that most Somalis are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, meaning deportation operations would legally only apply to a limited subset [9] [10].
3. Official and community responses: fear, defense and framing
City and state leaders, plus civil‑rights groups, have responded by stressing citizenship rates and warning about racial profiling; Minneapolis officials argue the "vast majority" are citizens and that any enforcement risks ensnaring people here legally [9] [10]. Somali community leaders and advocates report heightened anxiety and practical behaviors — carrying passports, avoiding public spaces — reflecting fear that large‑scale operations could sweep up U.S. citizens or people lawfully present even if policy aims at noncitizens [6] [7].
4. Where figures differ and why: methodology and ranges
Discrepancies across outlets come from different data sets and definitions: "Somali descent" vs. "foreign‑born Somali," and use of American Community Survey estimates that produce ranges (e.g., 76,000 vs. 107,000/108,000 statewide estimates). Local demographer counts, ACS microdata and community organization tallies yield varying totals and therefore different non‑citizen counts; for example, one outlet cites 107,000 Somali‑descent residents while others use an 80,000–84,000 baseline, which changes the share computed as non‑citizen [8] [2] [1] [4].
5. Competing narratives in the political debate
The administration has framed enforcement around a narrow target of undocumented or TPS‑protected Somalis, while critics call the rhetoric racist and warn it could amount to broad intimidation of a largely naturalized community [5] [1]. Right‑wing outlets and some political statements highlight isolated criminal cases to argue for enforcement; mainstream national and local outlets and civil‑rights groups counter that the vast majority are lawful residents and citizens and that mass actions risk civil‑liberties harms [11] [12] [9] [10].
6. Limitations and what reporting does not resolve
Available sources do not mention an exact, single authoritative count of "legal citizens" versus other legal statuses on a single day; figures are estimates that depend on ACS sampling, local demographer methods and differing definitions of "Somali" (ancestry vs. place of birth) [2] [4]. Sources also do not provide a precise, up‑to‑date tally of people currently with final deportation orders beyond discussing TPS and asylum caseloads [5] [6].
Bottom line: multiple mainstream outlets and local data converge on one clear point — most Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens or legal residents, with a relatively small number holding TPS or otherwise lacking citizenship — but exact totals vary by data source and definition, and reporting shows significant anxiety in the community over the prospect of enforcement [2] [4] [6] [9].