Local and state leaders spoke out Friday against President Donald Trump’s racist remarks about Somalis in Minnesota and the reported presence of federal immigration agents in Eden Prairie.

The gathering, organized by Asad Aliweyd, was held at the Irshad Islamic Center in Eden Prairie between religious services and included remarks from two state legislators, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case, and interfaith religious leaders.

Those who spoke reiterated their support for the Somali community, which they described as an important part of Eden Prairie’s civic life.

Elected officials’ response

Case said he appreciated the Somali community’s presence in Eden Prairie and said the city would work to ensure residents feel welcome.

“You add so much to the fabric of our culture,” Case said. 

State Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, a DFLer who represents District 49 — which encompasses all of Eden Prairie and southern Minnetonka — said he was struggling to make sense of what is happening in Minnesota and across the country.

“I don’t know how I would teach this era we’re living in right now,” said Cwodzinski, who spent 33 years teaching government at Eden Prairie High School.

Cwodzinski referenced the Statue of Liberty inscription welcoming immigrants.

“That’s what America is all about,” Cwodzinski said. “We’re not a nation of ‘we’re all the same.’ We’re a nation of immigrants. We’re a nation of diversity. That’s our strength, not our weakness.”

State Rep. Alex Falconer, a DFLer who represents District 49A in northern Eden Prairie and southern Minnetonka, said that before joining the Legislature he was a community organizer and is continuing that role by helping coordinate community response efforts amid fears tied to federal immigration enforcement.

He said he and others are working to support residents who do not feel safe in the community.

“Reach out for the information to join these groups so that we can all work together to protect one another,” Falconer said. “This is Minnesota. We value you, we love you.”

Other leaders in attendance included state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart, a DFLer who represents District 45 in the Lake Minnetonka area of western Hennepin County; Joan Howe-Pullis, director of justice ministries and liturgical coordinator at Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie; and the Rev. Trish Sullivan Vanni of Charis Ecumenical Catholic Community in Eden Prairie.

Aliweyd thanked the speakers for attending and affirmed the value of Somalis in the community.

“As you see, Minnesota, we are not garbage,” Aliweyd said.

Community response

Francesca Pagan-Umar, an Eden Prairie resident and former school board member, said she wants to hear specific actions community leaders plan to take in response to the president’s remarks and ICE’s presence.

“I think it’s really important and valuable when elected officials come to the Muslim community and connect with us,” Pagan-Umar said. “I think that when they make those connections, it’s also critical that they’re transparent with us about what steps they’re going to actively take to protect us.”

Pagan-Umar said the Muslim and Somali community needs more than appreciation right now.

“We don’t need to be appreciated,” Pagan-Umar said. “We need to be given the full protection of the law like every other person.”

Outside the gathering, Eden Prairie residents Fadumo Hassan and Amal Ali, both Somali mothers, expressed concerns about racism at the federal level.

Hassan said she was not surprised, but was deeply disappointed, by the language the president used to describe Somalis in Minnesota, including calling them “garbage.” She said she views the remarks as a threat to democracy.

She started carrying her passport to have proof of citizenship if needed. She also accompanies her children to the bus stop in her car to supervise them until they board.

Hassan, a U.S. citizen, arrived in Eden Prairie in 2000.

“I’m scared when I’m driving any car that I can see driving behind me,” Hassan said. “I have to make sure and double-check if the car is following me.”

Hassan said her children are struggling to understand what is happening. She recalled a recent moment when they called to check on her after she arrived home later than usual.

“My kids are born here, and they know I came here as an immigrant, and they know I am a citizen, but when they see the news, they are very curious,” Hassan said.

Ali said the president’s language is hurtful and harmful to the entire Somali community.

“Hearing the president of the United States directly say those things day in and day out, it’s racism,” Ali said. “It’s absolutely harmful, and it’s deeply dehumanizing the whole community of people, you know, it hurts. It really does hurt to the core.”

Ali said much of the rhetoric circulating about Somalis is inaccurate or misleading.

“A lot of it is misinformation,” she said. “And, you know, we’re being used as a scapegoat.”

Ali said it is a difficult time for Somali children in Minnesota and that she is intentional about how she discusses current events with her own children.

“I asked them, ‘How do you feel about what you’re hearing?’ They’re like, ‘It hurts. I don’t know why he’s saying this,’” Ali said. “I was like, ‘He’s just one person, he’s known for this kind of thing,’ but obviously it hurts them.”

She said Somali children in Eden Prairie take pride in their identities as Somali Americans.

“A lot of the kids that are here that are of Somali background, they are innocent,” Ali said. “They really know nothing but America. They love America, they love their identity, they love being Somali.”