WASHINGTON -- Obama administration officials are engaged in reaching out to Muslim communities across the United States -- including Minnesota -- to try and get them to speak up if they see radicalization taking place.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Phil Gordon, White House coordinator for the Middle East, said officials "were very attuned" to ISIL's propoganda machine -- on social and print media -- that has tempted some young American muslims to join the movement in the Middle East.

ISIL is a growing Islamist terrorist army in Iraq and Syria that is actively recruiting soldiers in Europe and the United States, including Minnesota. The two confirmed Americans who have died fighting with the terror group had Minnesota connections. A federal grand jury in St. Paul is investigating a group of Somali-Americans who were allegedly conspiring to join terrorists fighting in Syria. Both Democratic Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar have called on the Justice Department to fortify resources in Minnesota as details emerge that between 20 and 30 Minnesotans have been actively recruited by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Gordon said more European youth have been recruited to fight with ISIL than Americans.

"We have obviously been reaching out to American Muslim communities who are overwhelmingly supportive of our efforts to denouce ISIL and show it for what it is and encourage them to speak up so that we minimize this risk that some Muslims are susceptible to this propoganda," he said.

Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, who represents Minneapolis with its large Somali community, has encouraged the administration to work with residents there.

"I am one who believes that you need to counter this in a calm, methodical way," Ellison said earlier this week in an interview.