Politics
Melisa López Franzen to Officially Launch U.S. Senate Campaign
St. Paul, MN – Members of the press are invited to join Melisa López Franzen as she officially launches her campaign for the U.S. Senate. This marks the beginning of a movement to build a stronger Minnesota and ensure that every voice is heard in Washington.
Melisa has spent her career standing strong for Minnesota values, tackling the toughest fights, and proving that leadership isn’t about rhetoric—it’s about results. With the stakes higher than ever, she is ready to rise above partisan gridlock and champion policies that put working families first.
This event will be one of the first pivotal moments in the race. Press will have the opportunity to hear directly from Melisa, engage with supporters, and cover an event that will shape the future of this election.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Lake Monster Brewing Company
Address: 550 Vandalia St #160, St. Paul, MN 55114
Photo credit: Melisa López Franzen Facebook page
A new federal lawsuit filed in Boston is challenging the U.S. government’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, a move that could strip deportation protections from more than a thousand Somali residents who have lived and worked legally in the United States for decades.
The case was brought by four Somali individuals along with immigrant-rights organizations, who argue that the government’s decision to end the humanitarian program was unlawful and discriminatory. The plaintiffs claim the termination was influenced by racially charged rhetoric and political bias targeting Somali and other Black immigrant communities.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say the Department of Homeland Security failed to follow proper procedures when reviewing Somalia’s eligibility for TPS and ignored ongoing humanitarian concerns in the country. The lawsuit contends that the decision reflects a broader pattern of policies aimed at ending protections for immigrants from non-European nations.
Temporary Protected Status has allowed Somali nationals to remain in the United States since 1991, when the designation was first granted because of civil war, political instability, and humanitarian crises in Somalia. The program provides protection from deportation and allows recipients to work legally in the country while conditions in their home country remain unsafe.
Under the current federal decision, Somalia’s TPS designation is set to expire on March 17, 2026. If the policy takes effect, beneficiaries who do not secure another legal immigration status could lose their work authorization and become subject to deportation.
The lawsuit highlights particular concern for Somali communities in states such as Minnesota, which is home to the largest Somali population in the United States. Advocates argue that ending TPS could destabilize families and communities that have built their lives in the country over the past three decades.
The case now moves forward in federal court, where judges will determine whether the government’s decision to terminate protections for Somali TPS holders complied with immigration law and constitutional protections. The outcome could have significant consequences not only for Somali immigrants but also for the future of humanitarian immigration programs in the United States.
Local News
Immigrant Defense Network Calls for Investigation After Firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
MINNEAPOLIS – The Immigrant Defense Network is calling for a federal investigation into immigration enforcement practices following the dismissal of Kristi Noem as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement released Thursday, the Minnesota-based advocacy group said Noem’s removal reflects “growing instability and failures” within federal immigration enforcement leadership but warned that her departure should not shield federal agencies from scrutiny over policies enacted during her tenure.
The organization criticized enforcement actions carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing that tactics expanded under Noem harmed immigrant communities nationwide, particularly in Minnesota.
Central to the group’s criticism is Operation Metro Surge, a federal enforcement initiative the Immigrant Defense Network described as one of the most damaging recent operations affecting local immigrant families. According to the group, the operation created widespread fear in affected neighborhoods and strained trust between residents and public institutions.
The organization also pointed to two deaths connected to enforcement actions linked to the operation: Alex Pretti and Renée Good. The group said the deaths illustrate the dangers of what it characterized as increasingly militarized immigration enforcement strategies.
Beyond those incidents, the Immigrant Defense Network cited broader concerns about conditions in federal immigration detention. The group said more than 73,000 people remain in immigration custody nationwide and that nearly 40 detainees died in detention facilities during Noem’s time leading the Department of Homeland Security.
“These deaths are not statistics,” the organization said in its statement, describing them as evidence of systemic failures within the immigration detention system.
The Immigrant Defense Network is urging federal officials to establish an independent, nonpartisan commission with authority to investigate alleged abuses tied to federal immigration enforcement, including Operation Metro Surge, deaths involving federal agents, and conditions in detention centers. The group also called for an independent review of the deaths of Pretti and Good.
In addition, the organization is advocating for an immediate halt to deportations and renewed efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform that would create a pathway to citizenship, strengthen due process protections, and reduce reliance on enforcement-driven policies.
The group said communities in Minnesota and across the country continue to deal with the fallout from recent enforcement operations, citing family separations, economic hardship for immigrant-owned businesses, and declining trust in government institutions.
“Leadership changes at DHS will mean nothing if the policies and culture that allowed these abuses to occur remain intact,” the organization said.
The Immigrant Defense Network said it will continue to work with families and community members affected by enforcement actions as it presses for what it described as “truth, justice, and accountability.”
Local News
GARSOORE MAR KALLE AMAR KU BIXIYAY IN AAN LA XIRI KARIN DADKA QAXOOTI AHAANTA KU SOO GALAY WADANKA
MINNEAPOLIS – Garsoore federaal ah ayaa kordhiyay oo wakhti ku daray amar uu horey u bixiyay oo ku aaddan ilaalinta xuquuda dadka qaxooti ahaanta wadanka Mareykanka ku soo galay ee ku sugan gobolka Minnesota.
Garsoore John Tunheim ayaa waaxda socdaalka dalka Mareykanka amar ku siiyay in ayna xiri karin dadka qaxootiga ah inta ay dowladdu dib u eegis ku sameyneyso codsigooda sharciga Green Card-ka.
Xukunkan ayuu garsooruhu soo saaray Jimcihii la soo dhaafay ee ay bishu ahayd Febraayo 27, 2026. Xukunkan ayaa daba socda dhageysi dacwad Maxkamadda Federaalka Mareykanka ee ku taala magaaladda Minneapolis ka dhacay Febraayo 19, 2026. Amarka uu garsooruhu soo saaray ayaa u diidaya in saraakiisha ICE ay xiraan dadka qaxooti ahaanta ku soo galay dalka Mareykanka, ee weli sugaya in ay buuxiyaan sharciga Green Card-ka ama sugaya in ay helaan sharciga green card-ka loo yaqaano.
Laanta socdaalka Mareykanka, gaar ahaan xafiiskeeda ku yaala magaaladda Minneapolis ee gobolka Minnesota ayaa dad tiro ahaan dhan 5,600 oo qof oo qaxooti ahaan iyo si sharci ah lagu keenay dalka Mareykanka dib ugu balamiyay wareysi looga dan leeyahay in dib u qiimayn lagu sameeyo dadka qaxooti ahaan ku yimid dalka oo tiro ahaan gaadhaya dhowr kun oo qof.
Hawlgal loogu magac daray PARRIS ayaa dadkan qaxootinimada ku soo galay dalka lagu beegsaday. Wakiillada federaalka ayaa sheegay in ay u baahan yihiin in ay dib u eegaan oo wareyski ay la yeeshaan kumanaan qof oo ah dadka qaxootiga ah, waxayna wakiiladda laanta socdaalka ay sheegeen in dadka qaar lagu tuhunsan yahay khiyaano iyo been-abuur la xiriirta sida qaxootinimadda ah ee ay dalka ku soo galeen.
Haddaba waxaa dhacday in horaantii bishii January ay saraakiisha ICE iyo wakiiladda laanta socdaalka Mareykanka ay xireen kaddibna u duuliyeen oo u qaadeen xabsiyo ku yaala gobolka Texas dad baddan oo qaxooti ahaan iyo si sharci ah ku yimid dalka Mareykanka iyo gobolka.
Taariikhdu markay ahayd Janaayo 28, ayuu garsoore John Tunheim wuxuu bixiyay amar ku meel gaar ah oo ka hortagaya in dowladdu ay xirto dadka qaxooti ahaanta dalka Mareykanka ku soo galay, sidoo kalle garsoorahan ayaa maalintii Jimcaha markalle amar ku bixiyay in ayna saraakiisha ICE iyo shaqaalaha Laanta Socdaalka Dalku ayna xiri karin dadkan qaxooti ahaanta dalka ku soo galay, oo ah dad si sharci ah dalka ku jooga, kuna soo galay, ilaa iyo inta dacwadda arrintan la xiriirta go’aan rasmi ah laga gaarayo, oo la soo af-jarayo.
Garsoore si ku meel gaar ah hakad u geliyay sharcigii maanta hirgeli lahaa ee saameynayey Soomaalida haysta TPS-ka
Darawalada Gawaarida Xamuulka Qaada oo tiro ahaan dhan 200,000 ayaa waayaya shatiga ay baabuurta ku wadaan
Walaac ka dhasay maxkamadaha socdaalka Maraykanka oo dedejinaya kiisaska Soomaalida, qaarkoodna si qarsoodi ah loo qabanayo
Soomaali sharciga TPS-ka haysta oo dacwad ka gudbiyay maamulka Trump
Ramsey County offers temporary property tax relief to help people affected by Operation Metro Surge
Somali American Bar Association Launches Community Rights Education Video
6 Ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 / Corona virus disease – WHO
Aadaankii u horeeyay: Habeen Taariikhi ah
What You Need to Know to Prevent & Manage COVID-19 (w/English subtitles)
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