Wednesday September 24, 2025
FILE — Omar Jamal, then chargé d’affaires at the Permanent Mission of Somalia to the United Nations, briefs reporters on the situation in Somalia and the outcome of the London Conference during a press conference at UN headquarters in New York, April 3, 2012. (UN Photo)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (HOL) — Lawyers for Omar Jamal, a longtime Somali community leader in Minnesota, have filed a lawsuit seeking to block U.S. immigration authorities from deporting him, warning that his life would be in danger if he were sent abroad.
Jamal, 52, was
arrested last month in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) based on a 2005 immigration fraud conviction in Tennessee. He was ordered deported at the time, but a judge later granted him withholding of removal, preventing his return to Somalia. The Department of Homeland Security is now exploring whether to send him to another country.
“Omar Jamal’s life would be in danger in Somalia,” his attorney, Abdiqani Jabane, said. “He has been a visible figure working with U.S. law enforcement to counter al-Shabab recruitment. That makes him a target.” Jabane added that ICE had considered Canada, which declined, and may seek to send Jamal to Uganda, South Sudan or another country where he could face risks.
The Department of Homeland Security said Jamal was issued a final order of removal in 2011, though it was never carried out. His current immigration status remains unclear, with court rulings both blocking deportation to Somalia and leaving him in legal limbo.
Federal officials allege Jamal has other criminal offences beyond the 2005 conviction, though those claims could not be independently verified. Jabane disputed the characterization, describing his client as “a respected Somali American civic leader” whose record has been misrepresented.
Jamal is being held at the Freeborn County Jail in Albert Lea. He has no immigration court hearings scheduled, according to DHS records.
The case has divided opinion in Minnesota, where Jamal has been one of the most recognizable Somali voices for more than two decades. He has appeared frequently in the media and served as a community service officer with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Bob Fletcher defended him in a recent affidavit, describing him as “a stabilizing presence” and urging his release under supervision.
Community leaders echoed that sentiment. “This detention is a wake-up call,” said Bosteya Jama, executive director of the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota. “People who thought Minnesota was safe for immigrants are shaken.”
ICE officials have defended the arrest, citing Jamal’s past convictions. “Omar Abdi Jamal’s rap sheet includes assault, fraud, and a restraining order,” ICE Regional Director Erin Bultje said in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
Jamal fled Somalia more than 20 years ago, arriving in the U.S. as a refugee from famine and civil war. He later became executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that assisted immigrants facing legal challenges, before joining the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian community service officer in 2020. Sheriff Bob Fletcher defended him in a recent affidavit, calling Jamal “a stabilizing presence” and urging his release under supervision.
Jamal has also faced controversy. In 2020, he appeared in a Project Veritas video alleging ballot harvesting in Minneapolis. He later distanced himself from the group, saying his comments were misrepresented.
Supporters argue that Jamal’s detention threatens to damage years of trust built between federal authorities and Minnesota’s Somali community. His attorneys are seeking a temporary restraining order to block ICE from transferring him while his case proceeds.