Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says

By MIKE BALSAMO and STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S., a move that comes as President Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric about the state’s Somali community, according to a person familiar with the planning.

The operation could begin in the coming days and is expected to zero in on people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area who have final orders of deportation, the person said. Teams of immigration agents would spread across the Twin Cities in what the person described as a directed, high-priority sweep , though the plans remain subject to change.

The prospect of an immigration operation is likely