Somali leader Omar Jamal detained by ICE agents in downtown Minneapolis

Omar Jamal, a longtime leader in the local Somali community, was detained Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in downtown Minneapolis.

According to a Facebook post by his attorney, Abdiqani Jabane, Jamal is being held at the Freeborn County jail in Albert Lea, which is being used to hold ICE detainees.

It was not yet clear what prompted Thursday’s action. On Saturday morning, ICE spokeswoman Erin Bultje directed questions to an agency email address, but an inquiry sent the night before had not yet yielded a response.

Jamal, 52, came to the United States more than 20 years ago as a refugee fleeing famine and war in Somalia and has been a highly visible figure in Minnesota’s Somali community.

Court records show Jamal was convicted of immigration fraud in Tennessee in 2005 and sentenced to one year of probation, which included referral to federal immigration officials for possible deportation. His appeal was denied, but he remained in the United States.

In a follow-up statement Saturday morning, Jabane wrote that he is “not able to confirm [Jamal’s] exact immigration status or whether there are pending filings at this time,” citing the “sensitive nature of the case and privacy concerns.”

Jabane added that he is in direct contact with ICE officials about Jamal’s detainment.

While some in the community questioned whether he spoke for them, Jamal often said his role was simply to help those struggling with immigration or law enforcement issues.

In 2020, Jamal joined the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian community service officer. Steve Linders, a spokesman for the department, said Friday in an emailed statement that Jamal has played “an integral role in helping us liaison with the Somali community in Minnesota, which has the largest population of Somalis in the country.”

Jaylani Hussein, executive director for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said Saturday that Jamal’s detention was “extremely disappointing.” Jamal, he said, ”has been a polarizing figure in the community, but it’s extremely concerning to see that ICE picked him up. He’s also someone who had close relations with a lot of Republicans, including the sheriff and others.”