On December 9, 2025, federal agents employed pepper spray to disperse a crowd obstructing their vehicles during identification checks in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, which has a large Somali American population. This incident occurred amid intensified enforcement actions by the Trump administration against the Somali community, particularly following the announcement to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalis.

City Council Member Jamal Osman, a Somali American, witnessed the confrontation and reported heightened anxiety within the local community. The Somali population in Minnesota is the largest in the United States, and many residents have expressed concerns regarding the recent immigration crackdown. Although Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials stated that no arrests were made during this operation, the lack of transparency surrounding detentions has raised alarms.

Osman noted that armed ICE agents entered local East African restaurants, demanding identification from patrons, and found only U.S. citizens. However, the presence of federal agents has created a tense atmosphere, prompting Osman to advise community members to carry their passports. During the operation, agents checked IDs of individuals on the street and temporarily detained at least one U.S. citizen. Local residents intervened at a nearby senior housing complex, using whistles to alert others and confront the agents, which led to the deployment of pepper spray by federal agents.

Osman recounted the impact of the pepper spray on individuals, including a young Somali American who was detained and later released after his citizenship was verified. This individual was left to navigate home in adverse weather conditions, raising questions about the humanitarian implications of such enforcement actions. The situation has been further complicated by inflammatory remarks from President Trump, who has made derogatory comments about Somalis, prompting criticism from community leaders and Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

In a related development, the Trump administration has halted immigration applications from 19 countries classified as 'high-risk,' including Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela. This decision has sparked concern in South Florida, particularly among immigration attorneys who report abrupt cancellations of processes such as citizenship ceremonies and green card appointments. For example, a Miami attorney noted that a young Venezuelan man received a last-minute cancellation for his green card interview without explanation.

This directive follows a violent incident in Washington D.C., where two National Guard soldiers were shot by an Afghan refugee, prompting the administration to pause immigration applications from the specified countries. The move has drawn criticism from within the Republican Party, including Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, who described the pause as 'unfair' and 'un-American,' arguing it punishes innocent individuals who have complied with legal immigration processes. Salazar, a Cuban-American, faces a challenging political landscape as she seeks to address discontent among Latino constituents regarding the administration's stringent immigration policies while advocating for her bipartisan immigration legislation, the Dignity Act, which aims to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants.