Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text, broken down into key points:
* Trump’s Anti-Somali Rhetoric & Policy Changes: Former President Donald Trump has publicly stated he doesn’t want Somali immigrants in the United States, urging them to “go back where they came from” and characterizing Somalia as a “mess.” He also announced plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis, possibly leading to deportations.
* Fraud Scandal & Timing: Trump’s statements came after a scandal involving fraud in Minnesota’s food assistance program, in which some Somali immigrants were allegedly involved. The timing suggests a connection between the scandal and Trump’s harsh rhetoric.
* increased ICE Activity & Fear: Following Trump’s remarks, reports and videos circulated of increased immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in areas with large Somali populations in Minnesota (like “Little Mogadishu” and St.Paul). This has created widespread fear and panic within the Somali community.
* Experiences of Those Facing Deportation: The article details the experiences of five young Somali men with TPS who, fearing deportation, abandoned their apartment and are hiding with a friend, unable to work and rationing food, fearing ICE will find them.
* Somalia’s Instability: The article highlights the ongoing instability in Somalia, noting the lack of a central, controlling government since 1991 and the continued presence of Islamist militant groups. This raises questions about the safety of returning Somalis.
* Mohamud’s Case: A young man named Mohamud who was recently deported from the U.S. is leveraging his TikTok presence for opportunities. He acknowledges this advantage over other deportees.
* Growing Deportations: There has been a reported increase in the number of Somalis being deported to Somalia in recent months, though official figures are not available.
In essence, the article portrays a climate of fear and uncertainty for Somali immigrants in the US due to recent political developments and increased enforcement activity, compounded by the difficult conditions in their country of origin.
صدر الصورة، Mahad Mohamud
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- Author, بشرى محمد
- Role, بي بي سي، الخدمة العالمية
كان مهاد محمد يحاول ببطء التأقلم من جديد مع الحرّ والفوضى والتوتر في العاصمة الصومالية مقديشو، بعد ترحيله من مدينة مينيابوليس الأمريكية الشهر الماضي، في وقتٍ كان الشتاء يقترب فيه من البلاد.
ويعرف الصوماليون الرجل البالغ من العمر 36 عامًا باسم “غرياقان”، وهي كلمة يمكن ترجمتها إلى “القاضي”.
وهو الاسم الذي يستخدمه على منصة تيك توك، حيث جذب ما يقرب من نصف مليون متابع أثناء وجوده في الخارج، وقد أشاد به متابعوه بسبب دفاعه عن مصالح عشيرته، في إطار ثقافة السجال اللفظي المربحة على تيك توك في الصومال.
لكن القائمين على حساب “الاستجابة السريعة 47” المرتبط بالبيت الأبيض على منصة إكس، وصفوا مهاد بأنه “مجرم وضيع”، وفي منشور خلال شهر أكتوبر/تشرين الأول، اتهمه الحساب بأنه “متورط في اختطاف مسؤولين فرنسيين” من أحد الفنادق في العاصمة الصومالية.
ونفى مهاد هذه الاتهامات، مؤكداً أنه لم يكن في مقديشو وقت الحادثة، ولم يُدان أبداً، كما أُسقطت القضية لاحقاً.
ويقول إن احتجازه من قبل وكالة الهجرة والجمارك الأمريكية (آي سي إيه) جاء بعد أن قام أحد منافسيه على تيك توك بتسريب عنوان سكنه.
وأضاف قائلا: “أخبرني عناصر وكالة الهجرة والجمارك الأمريكية أن لديهم قضيتين ضدي، الأولى هي دخولي البلاد بشكل غير قانوني، والثانية تتعلق باختطاف مسؤول فرنسي”.
وأوضح مهاد أن مكتب التحقيقات الفيدرالي (إف بي آي) تولّى التحقيق في قضية الاختطاف، وبعد استجوابه تمّت تبرئته،
لكن ذلك لم يمنع ترحيله.
وبدأت رحلة مهاد من الصومال إلى الولايات المتحدة قبل أكثر من 10 سنوات، حيث انتقل أولاً إلى جنوب أفريقيا وعاش هناك حتى عام 2021، لكنه يقول إنه تعرّض لاعتداء من رجال مسلحين في هجوم عنصري معادٍ للأجانب.
بعد ذلك، توجّه إلى البرازيل، وشق طريقه شمالاً، إلى أن عبر إلى الولايات المتحدة من دون وثائق عبر الحدود المكسيكية.
ويقول: “عندما قفزت فوق السياج من جهة المكسيك، تم اعتقالي واحتُجزت لمدة شهر”.
ويضيف قائلا: “لاحقاً أُفرج عني مع تصريح عمل لأن قضية لجوئي كانت لا تزال قيد النظر”.
صدر الصورة، Andaou via Getty Images
ثم شقّ طريقه إلى مينيابوليس, Minnesota, and says, “I was working as an Uber driver, and I was happy because I finally reached the land of dreams, and I hoped they would accept me.”
During this time, his TikTok career took off, providing him with a steady income as followers began sending him money during live streams. This activity, however, also drew threats from the al-Shabaab militant group in Somalia, due to his outspoken support for the government.
This threat was included as part of his asylum claim in the United States.
Mohamud detailed the morning of May 1st, when ICE agents arrested him this year. After finishing breakfast, he headed to his car, believing he was about to start a new day working as an Uber driver.
“Suddenly… they raided me and arrested me,” he said.
According to Mohamud, the drive to the ICE facility serving Minneapolis and St. Paul took 30 minutes, followed by six hours spent traveling to the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar, Minnesota, where he says he was detained for six months.
He told the BBC that three months of that time were spent awaiting a decision on his asylum claim, while the remaining three months were spent awaiting deportation. His asylum request was denied, as authorities were not convinced he would be in danger in Somalia.
Mohamud says he was transferred on several occasions to Arizona, where deportation flights originate, but was each time told logistical arrangements were not yet complete.
On one of those trips, he was among a group of 39 detainees, including citizens from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, in a holding area for those awaiting deportation flights.
Finally, when his deportation arrived, Mohamud says he was fitted with a restrictive vest and flown on a small plane with seven other deportees and several guards.
The journey began with a stop in Costa Rica, then Senegal, before arriving in Nairobi, Kenya. Mohamud says the vest was removed in Nairobi, where he was then handcuffed and placed on another flight to Mogadishu.
After three months of waiting for deportation, Mohamud had largely accepted his fate and wasn’t particularly emotional upon his return.
After a decade apart, he was finally reunited with his three children. “I can’t replace this moment with anything now… I haven’t seen them for ten years,” he said.
However, he maintains he would have preferred to stay in the United States, fearing for his life after receiving text messages containing death threats from al-Shabaab.
He says he is taking extra security precautions when he goes out and lives in a well-fortified home, but declined to provide further details or share the content of the threats for safety reasons.
صدر الصورة، Getty Images
Upon his return, Mohamud was greeted by a large number of members of his clan, including local politicians, due to his presence and popularity on TikTok. He recognizes that his strong social media presence may afford him opportunities unavailable to other Somalis deported from the United States, or facing deportation.
Last month, former President Donald Trump said he would end Temporary Protected Status, which is supposed to prevent the deportation of people as long as their home countries are unsafe.
Earlier this month, he escalated his rhetoric further, announcing he doesn’t want Somali immigrants in the United States, telling reporters they should “go back where they came from,” adding that “their country is a mess.”
Somalia has not had a central government controlling the entire country since the ousting of President Siad Barre in 1991, and the population has suffered years of near-anarchy and insecurity. Even today, despite a government in Mogadishu, Islamist militant groups still control large parts of the country and periodically carry out attacks in the capital.
صدر الصورة، Getty Images
Trump’s comments came after questions were raised about widespread fraud in Minnesota’s food assistance program.
Dozens of people have been charged in connection with a scheme prosecutors say involved a charity submitting fraudulent invoices to the state government for meals for children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Several Somali immigrants were allegedly involved in the scheme.
Following the President’s remarks about Somalis, videos circulated on social media appearing to show ICE agents knocking on doors across Minnesota, including in an area known as “Little Mogadishu,” as well as in the city of St. Paul.
This news sparked fear and panic among many in the Somali community in the city, which is the largest Somali population in the United States, estimated at around 80,000 people.
The BBC spoke to five young Somali men who are currently spending their days inside a small apartment belonging to a friend, cautiously moving between its walls, after abruptly leaving their rented flat last week, not by choice, but because the lease was in their names.
As people with Temporary Protected Status, they feared it was only a matter of time before ICE found their address and came to arrest them, so they gathered what they could carry and left at night hoping a change of location would offer some protection.
Today, their lives are in limbo, they have been unable to go to work, and are rationing or sharing meals. One described the rapid collapse of their lives, saying, “Our food is about to run out, and we haven’t gone to work in the last five days because we’re afraid ICE agents are waiting for us. I don’t know what will happen to us.”
Mohamud is not alone in his experience, as an increasing number have been deported to Somalia in recent months, though official figures are unavailable.
The BBC also spoke to another young Somali man who asked to remain anonymous and is struggling to rebuild his life in Mogadishu.
He comes from a rural area of Somalia and was desperate to leave after a prolonged drought destroyed his livelihood. He entered the United States illegally through the Mexican border after traveling north from Brazil, but was arrested shortly after and spent 18 months in detention before being deported.
During a phone interview, he expressed uncertainty about his future. “They brought me back to start from zero, everything I worked for is gone,” he said.
He said he spent around $20,000 to reach the United States, including money borrowed from friends and family.
Since returning to his home country, he has no money and says opportunities are scarce in Somalia.
“I don’t see a future here, nothing is happening… there are no jobs,” he said.
He is now considering migrating again.
“I don’t want to start my life again, I just want to migrate to any country now,” he concluded.
