Vincent Peirani (accordion), Ballaké Sissoko (kora), Emile Parisien (saxophone) and Vincent Segal (cello will take The Cedar Cultural Center stage on March 27th mid-way through their US tour. Photo: Courtesy Mad Minute Music
Vincent Peirani (accordion), Ballaké Sissoko (kora), Emile Parisien (saxophone) and Vincent Segal (cello will take The Cedar Cultural Center stage on March 27th mid-way through their US tour. Photo: Courtesy Mad Minute Music
“The challenge of “Les Egarés” is to mix several musical cultures from Mali to Jazz, to Musette to Balkan,” said Ballaké Sissoko when Mshale spoke to the Malian kora player earlier this month. Les Egarés isn’t a band or even a quartet of musicians, but a convivial meeting of four friends that come together to improvise and share the results with an audience.
Les Egarés will take The Cedar Cultural Center stage on March 27th mid-way through their US tour. For your sake, reader of Mshale, every inch of space at The Cedar should be filled with a pair of ears to hear their unique and exquisite sound.
Do some homework and listen to the styles of music that will be expressed if they are now unfamiliar to you. Then during the show, you’ll be able to take pleasure in identifying the styles as the artists perform them.
The kora as played by Sissoko will sometimes be featured and at other times, take its place in supporting the key player. Sissoko said, “when we tour with “Les Egarés” each of us keeps his personality,” he continued, “I am Malian, I was born in this culture and music, I don’t know how to be different.”
The audience will need to get used to different. The sound that results from these four distinct musicians commingles delightfully. “When I play, I listen to the other musicians and receive their sound and culture and I give them mine,” said Sissoko, thereby learning from one another and feeding into one another’s creativity.
While Les Egarés is an evolving experiment, it’s comprised of two duos that have shaped themselves for years, Sissoko and Vincent Segal on strings and Vincent Peirani on accordion with saxophonist Émile Parisien the other pair. Sissoko described his musical partner, a cellist:
“Vincent Segal is my brother, we never rehearse, we just play like friends that are having fun and pleasure. When we met 25 years ago, I used to stop by his house each time I was coming to Paris, just to play together. It is only after a long time that we have decided to record our first album ‘Chamber Music’.”
The interview closed with Ballaké Sissoko’s affirming remarks, “It is always a pleasure to come to perform in the Us, I like to touch the people with my music and make them feel happy and discover new cultures.”
Les Egarés will perform a seated three-hour show at The Cedar on March 27th. Doors open at 7 pm, half an hour before showtime.
Minnesota State University associate professor Dr. David Kimori will work with Kisii University in southwestern Kenya to develop a curriculum for training teachers teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as part of his Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship. Photo: Courtesy MSU
Minnesota State University associate professor Dr. David Kimori will work with Kisii University in southwestern Kenya to develop a curriculum for training teachers teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as part of his Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship. Photo: Courtesy MSU
A professor who has dedicated part of his tenure to establishing a relationship between his university in the United States, and one in Kenya, his country of birth, has been awarded the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program.
Dr. David Kimori, an associate professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, will collaborate with Dr. George Areba of Kisii University in southwestern Kenya to develop a curriculum for training teachers teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in compliance with the East African country’s new competency-based curriculum (CBC).
“We are going to train trainers, that is, university faculty members, and these trainers will train and teach pre-primary and senior secondary school teachers,” Kimori said.
Kimori, whose area of specialty is in physics and chemistry education, said the Carnegie grant would enable him to develop a STEM curriculum for trainers of teachers, which he will begin implementing in the summer of 2025.
Kenya’s education system is undergoing its biggest overhaul since the 1980s, when it switched from the 7-4-2-3 to the 8-4-4 system. The former was a colonial-era system that mandated seven years of primary, four years of secondary, two years of high school, and three years of university education. It was replaced by the latter, which was simplified to eight years of primary, four years of secondary/high school, and four of undergraduate university studies. Critics of the 8-4-4 system argued that the old systems focused so little on teaching practical skills and more on teaching children to memorized information just to pass exams. In 2017, the government rolled out what it said was a competency-based curriculum to focus more on teaching practical skills. Since then, however, parents and teachers have complained that teachers did not receive adequate training to ensure there was a smooth transition.
“CBC is, a good curriculum, but I think the approach it was given is what is now causing problems and this a big challenge,” Kimori said.
He explained that it could have been less overwhelming for teachers if the government had only changed the curriculum but left the 8-4-4 education system intact. He compared what the government did to changing an office computer operating system by simultaneously introducing new software and hardware without training staff.
“And since the teachers were not well prepared on what the CBC should look like, they began passing the burden to parents, who are also now raising sentiments,” Kimori said. “That is why we are embarking on giving teachers the tools and creating a training module which the trainers can use to train teachers to feel much more competent in the classroom.
Speaking by phone from Kenya, Areba said Kisii University, in collaboration with Kimori at Mankato, is trying to fix the problem by developing curricular for training teachers for the new system.
“We are solving a pedagogical problem in the competency-based curriculum, especially on STEM education,” Areba said. “We are aiming to do capacity building on how to approach the teaching of STEM education and competency-based curriculum for the purpose of empowering teachers with skills, knowledge, and competencies on how to teach the same.”
Although Kenya’s education system is centralized, with the Ministry of Education controlling what is taught in K-12 level, Areba said universities and other institutions that train teachers have the freedom to design their own curricula. The Carnegie grant, he said, gave Kisii University the opportunity not only to establish itself as the place where current primary and secondary school teachers go for training on how to effectively teach STEM, but also a resource for professors from other universities in Kenya.
“There is an escalation which is going to take place after developing the training,” said Areba, who specializes in education administration, management, and teaching. “We are going to recommend this training to other universities, especially those that are training the teachers who are going to teach.”
Areba said collaboration with institutions like Minnesota State University, Mankato, which have extensive experience in teaching in areas such as STEM, would be important as Kisii University and others in Kenya seek to build capacity for their staff and students.
The latest collaboration between Kisii University and Minnesota State University, Mankato, isn’t the first one. In 2019, the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate in the field of education. But Kimori, who was instrumental in establishing the relationship, said the two institutions couldn’t do much with the MOU because the coronavirus pandemic began later that year. In 2021, Prof. John Akama, who at the time was the vice chancellor of Kisii University, traveled to Mankato to sign a partnership agreement to strengthen the relationship between the two universities. The agreement sought to expand the relationship to include “exchange of students, faculty, and ideas as well as curricular connections.”
“We value our partnership and seek to identify additional areas of potential collaboration to fulfill our mutual mission of bringing opportunity for social mobility, access to educational excellence, and betterment for communities,” said Dr. Brain Martensen, who at the time was the interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Mankato.
Now in its eleventh year, the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and is designed to strengthen ties and develop long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations between universities in Canada and the United States and their counterparts in Africa.
George “Jojo” Ndege at his stand at the Taste of Minnesota on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on July 3, 2023. On Friday March 7, 2025 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis he will launch a book he wrote about the history of rumba music. There will be live music and a fireside chat with Mshale Contributing Editor Edwin Okong’o. Mshale File Photo by Panashe Matemba-Mutasa
George “Jojo” Ndege at his stand at the Taste of Minnesota on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on July 3, 2023. On Friday March 7, 2025 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis he will launch a book he wrote about the history of rumba music. There will be live music and a fireside chat with Mshale Contributing Editor Edwin Okong’o. Mshale File Photo by Panashe Matemba-Mutasa
Ask Africans immigrants in the Twin Cities about George “Jojo” Ndege, and they will probably tell you about the dance parties he used to host “back in the day.” Maybe they will say that he is an amazing chef, who runs Tamu Grill, a restaurant and catering company he started a few years ago. And others may tell you they know him from KFAI radio, where he cohosts an music show called African Rhythms.
What many people might not know, however, is that Jojo recently added “author” to his long resume. On Friday March 7, he will launch a book he wrote about the history of rumba music.
“Most of you know me as a chef, but I am also a music enthusiast,” said Jojo, who was born in Kenya.
He said he wrote Rumba Evolution when he found himself with a lot of time due to the lockdown that followed the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Although the book has been available for sale in places like Amazon since it was published in 2021, Jojo said he never got a chance to do a proper launch because soon after publishing it he opened Tamu Grill, which took most of his time. Now that his restaurant and catering business is off the ground, he is ready to launch and promote his book, he said. But Jojo said it is not going to be a typical book launch party.
Copies of Rumba Evolution on a table. Author George ‘Jojo’ Ndege will launch the book on Friday March 7, 2025 at the Cedar Cultural Center. Photo: Mshale File
“This is not going to be a boring book launch,” he said. “Get ready to dance.”
The event, which will be held at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, will begin with a fireside chat about the Rumba Evolution with Mshale’s Edwin Okong’o. It will also feature live performances by various musical artists including Shalita (Uganda and Tanzania), Diatoti (Congo), Bandasson (Kenya), and Innocent (Tanzania), all of whom are accomplished African musicians based in Minnesota. DJ Salif Keita, Jojo’s cohost on African Rhythms, a show on KFAI Radio, will also be present.
“Between the live bands and DJ music, the night promises lots of fun and dancing,” Jojo said. “This is very special to me and the evening will be even more special with your attendance.”
Rumba Evolution is a captivating book about a type of music that unwillingly left Africa in slave ships, went to Cuba, then spread to the rest of the world before returning home to Africa as the Congolese rumba music we know and love today. Sometimes called Lingala or Soukouss music, it is now a global phenomenon with superstars such as Franco, Tabuley, Kanda Bongoman, Koffi Olomide, Fally Ipupa, and many more.
Copies of book will be available for sale at the event, and Jojo will sign them for those who purchase.
“It will indeed be a Rumba Evolution party,” Jojo said.
Kimberly Brown performs at the annual Black History Month Showcase in Brooklyn Park on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webbber
On Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 Brooklyn Park held its annual Black History Month Showcase at the Community Activity Center. Mshale photojournalist Jasmine Webber compiled this photo essay from the celebration.
Students from Excell Academy show their dance moves at the Brooklyn Park Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.Jerome Richardson, executive director of Global Teen Activists was the keynote speaker. “There is continuously a threat to our democracy and our autonomy as human beings. January 2025, just this year, major policy change by the new administration was an executive order that took away the prohibited of discrimination by federal contractors and affirmative action programs which undoes decades of hard-earned blood seat and tears that were put into affirming Black individuals and minorities that don’t have the same opportunities, this is not just a political shift but an attack on our progress, equity and justice.” As Richardson concluded his address, it was announced that President Trump had fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, only the second African American to hold the chairman’s job. Brown, a four-star general, was replaced by a retired three-star white general.The drums were loud and they thundered in the Brooklyn Park community center as Lions Drum and Dance brought their signature beats and music during the city’s Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.Entrepreneur and motivational speaker Rasheda Jenkins speaks at Brooklyn Park’s Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.Paintings by local artists showcasing Black culture on a table at the Brooklyn Park Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.Mayor Hollies Winston who started his third year in office last month spoke of the upcoming 200 acres BioTech Innovation District that the city is planning to develop in the area around highways 169 and 610. It is expected to break ground in 2026 and create an estimated 10,000 jobs. Brooklyn Park was given the authority last year by the Minnesota Legislature to issue bonds. The highways 169 and 610 is where the cities of Brooklyn Park, Champlin and Maple Grove intersect and the mayor said of the development: “There are other cities, Maple Grove and Champlin, that are trying to tell us how we should develop as a city, we didn’t tell them how to develop as a city, but suddenly when we start saying as a community we want to create certain opportunities for ourselves, and something nice for ourselves people start saying this is how you should do it.”The audience records a performance with their cellphones during the Brooklyn Park Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.Hip-Hop artist Juice Lord was one of the attractions at the Brooklyn Park Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Ahead of his appearance on Friday, he posted on social media that the last physical copies of his latest album “8th Inning: Luv VS Passion” were still available. Regarding the album, he said: “The 8th inning represents my youth playing baseball but also represents a full-circle moment. The moment is when I hit the 8th year of pursuing music, the 8th year being out of high school, and the celebration of still having the love and passion for it while going through many emotions of losing people I loved along the way that are alive and gone.” The artist who grew up in St. Paul, added: “As well as paying homage to a rec center named Scheffer that is now called “Frogtown” by wearing a jersey that highlights that era of my life and love for baseball. This project led me to tour, sold out shows, Minnesota music library and the front of star tribune.”Aru Sasikumar, director of social justice at the African Career, Education, & Resource Inc. (ACER) speaks to a visitor (off camera) to their table at the Brooklyn Park Black History Month Showcase on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. ACER, which was born in Brooklyn Park and operates in most of the northwest suburbs, recently completed its move to Brooklyn Center after taking ownership of the $5 million Shingle Creek Center that now serves as its new headquarters.Singer and songwriter Kimberly Brown told the audience that work songs during slavery sometimes contained coded information “such as the time or location of the next secret meeting and contained information on how to flee that only slaves could understand.” You can watch a video clip of one of those songs at the top of this story.
In this C-Span screenshot, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus addresses the media along with other caucus members on their agenda for the 119th Congress and their efforts to push back against the Trump agenda on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Washington.
In this C-Span screenshot, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus addresses the media along with other caucus members on their agenda for the 119th Congress and their efforts to push back against the Trump agenda on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Washington.
Rep. Ilhan Omar and local leaders from Minnesota vowed to keep fighting against President Donald J. Trump’s administration, which they accused of trying to destroy the constitution of the United States.
“We have to be ready to fight back because we know submission is the path to dictatorship,” Omar told her constituents, who gathered in St. Louis Park for a townhall meeting she hosted on Thursday, Feb. 20. “[Trump] wants to abolish agencies that protect everyday Americans which will make it easier for big banks, corporations, and oligarchs like [Tesla CEO Elon] Musk to control every aspect of our society.”
Since Trump’s return to the White House, he has signed several executive orders that critics say are unconstitutional and likely to cause great harm to the United States. Some of the executive orders ended birthright U.S. citizenship; suspended funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); got rid of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs; and laid off thousands of federal government workers.
“What we are witnessing is a constitutional crisis through Trump’s attempt to expand executive authority,” Omar said. “We cannot allow for these actions to be normalized.”
Saint Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed said Trump’s return to the White House had caused a lot of uncertainty. But the city of Saint Louis Park remained focused on and committed to its “strategic priorities,” which were grounded in the values of its residents, she said.
“This feels like a really good time to reiterate those priorities,” Mohamed said. “These priorities guide us as we navigate change together and reflect our shared commitment to service, community voice, and excellence.”
Mohamed said the priorities include racial equity and inclusion to create a more just and welcoming community; advancing environmental stewardship; expanding housing options and neighborhood-oriented development; improving transportation so that people can move around the city safely; comfortably, and reliably; and creating opportunities for community engagement and connections.
“I stand proudly behind those strategic priorities,” she said.
Mohamed, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States with her family as refugees when she was 10 years old, said she had received a lot of emails from people wondering if St. Louis Park Police Department would enforce federal immigration laws. She said the department had a longstanding policy of not asking residents about their immigration status and therefore doesn’t maintain any data on the immigration status of people officers come in contact with during their daily work.
“Maintaining the trust and faith of the community has always been the police department’s priority,” Mohamed said. “That remains true today. Every resident should have the confidence to call for help when needed, knowing that the police response will be guided by the values and principles that they have always demonstrated.”
State Rep. Larry Kraft, who represents District 46A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, said the fact that people were still turning out in numbers at townhall meetings showed how important it was for communities to come together during what he described as a tough two months of Trump’s presidency. He said that lawmakers at the State Capitol were doing everything they could to push back against Trump’s policies.
“What we’re trying to do at the state level is do what’s right for Minnesota, but we’re also trying to connect things that are happening here to the broader things that are happening across the country,” Kraft said. “We know that in this country the economy is unfair for everyone but the wealthy. And right now, the Trump administration is trying to make that worse, and we need to push back on that.”
Paul Baudhuin, an At-Large member of St. Louis Park City Council, said it was more important than ever for citizens to get involved in the political process, not just as voters but also as candidates for office. Baudhuin said that two years ago, he was one of those citizens who never thought about running for office. Somebody told him there was going to be an open city council seat and urged him to run for it, he said. He ran for it and got elected. Working in City Hall made him realize just how important and impactful local municipal governance could be, he said. Baudhuin urged people not to sit around waiting for the midterm elections but instead pay attention to other opportunities to create change through local elections like the ones that will be held in the fall to fill seats in school boards, city councils, and commissions.
“This is not an off year,” Baudhuin said. “It an odd year and there is a lot at stake, and we need good people running and having robust campaigns and getting in and doing the work that we’re trying to do every week here at St. Louis Park. We can’t control the federal government, [and] the state government, but we can control what goes on in St. Louis Park and we can do what we can to make sure that people are safe and protected and living vibrant beautiful lives.”
Responding to a constituent who wanted to know what Democrats in Washington, D.C., were doing to fight Trump’s policies, Omar said there were conversations about ways to slow down Trump’s progress, but she could not go into details in public.
“You don’t you don’t want to tell your opponent what your plans are in opposing them,” she said. “So, yes, there are plans in place. We are collectively working together to try and figure out the best way to stop the bleed, stop the damage and make sure that they are not able to have the kind of carnage that they want.”
Happy mother reading for toddler. Photo: Reach Out and Read Minnesota
Happy mother reading for toddler. Photo: Reach Out and Read Minnesota
Sponsored Content by Reach Out and Read Minnesota
You may have heard before that young children’s brains are just like sponges—and in many ways, that’s true! Every single moment that they are awake, children’s brains absorb incredible amounts of information. According to the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, children’s brains form over one million new connections every single second in the first years of life. That’s a lot of brain power!
But unlike your kitchen sponge, a child’s brain keeps growing every single day. Even more importantly, your child can talk back to you! In fact, medical experts tell us that it is through face-to-face interactions that young children best learn.
“Every time you read, sing, or even just talk to your child, you are helping their brain grow,” says Dr. Gigi Chawla, Chief of General Pediatrics at Children’s Minnesota, and Medical Director for Reach Out and Read Minnesota. “Your child’s brain is wired to watch you, mimic you, and learn from you all the time,” she added.
“The connections children make in infancy and early childhood will serve them their whole lives. When parents spend time interacting and bonding with their kids they are preparing their children for success in school, and a happier, healthier life,” said Dr. Chawla.
So how can you help your little one grow their brain and prepare them for a happy, healthy future? We have some science-based tips for you—and they might be easier than you expect!
In the Reach Out and Read program, clinicians provide books to young children at routine well-child visits. Photo: Reach Out and Read Minnesota
1) Share a book together. We’ll start with our very favorite: books! When it comes to building children’s brains, books are the very best tool we have. Books can show children new words, stimulate their imagination, teach them about the world around them, and, best of all, they give you and your little one a chance to snuggle up and share something together!
2) Singing and dancing. A song, like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” may seem simple, but there is a whole lot happening behind the scenes in your child’s brain. Learning new words and phrases, matching rhythm and melody, and coordinating claps, stomps or other dance moves, all help “light up” many different parts of your child’s brain all at the same time.
Don’t worry—you don’t have to be a good singer or dancer! You only have to give it a try and we promise your child will have a good time (even if you think you’re totally tone deaf)!
3) Talking: Even if your child can’t quite speak on their own yet, we promise they will love to be included in the conversation! When you speak directly to your child, they will not only learn new words, but also they will begin to recognize speech patterns and facial expressions. You can talk about nearly anything with your child; the weather, cars or trains going by, or even your favorite TV show or sports team!
Whatever you choose to talk about, your child will love to hear the sound of your voice.
4) Free play: Your child has an amazing imagination; let them use it! Free, or unstructured play, simply means letting your child take the lead instead of having an adult telling them what to do. You can let your child make up stories, build their own creations with blocks, play dress-up with your old clothes, or draw a picture of whatever they would like! Free play like this allows your child’s brain to explore new ideas, helps them practice problem solving, and encourages independence.
5) Limit screen time. The World Health Organization recommends zero screen time for children under two and less than one hour per-day for children ages 2-5. In a world full of screens, we know this can be quite a challenge, but it is for good reason. Children need real world interactions for their brains to grow healthily, and screens don’t provide that. Screens can also cause long term issues with sleep and attention spans.
When your child does have screen time, we recommend watching along with them, so you can ask them questions or talk about what is happening together.
6) Explore the world together: Whether it’s the grocery store, a library, or a nearby park, you can bring learning with you wherever you go. Your child is naturally curious and the world is full of new and interesting things! Ask them questions that go beyond just yes or no answers, like “where do you think those birds are flying to?” or “what is your favorite kind of fruit?”.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, every day is a chance to learn together. Make the most of it!
Did you know that you can get a free book at your child’s routine check-ups? Reach Out and Read Minnesota partners with clinics all across Minnesota to provide books and early developmental guidance for children ages 5 and below. Ask your child’s clinic if they participate in Reach Out and Read, or check out our clinic map here.
Minnesota House Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley (DFL-Brooklyn Park) listens as Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during an immigration listening session she hosted on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 at North Hennepin Community College which is located in her district. On the right is Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley and Decontee Sawyer, director of constituent services at Congresswoman Kelly Morrison’s district office. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Minnesota House Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley (DFL-Brooklyn Park) listens as Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks during an immigration listening session she hosted on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 at North Hennepin Community College which is located in her district. On the right is Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley and Decontee Sawyer, director of constituent services at Congresswoman Kelly Morrison’s district office. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Minnesota House Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley, whose family once faced deportation, hosted a Thursday night immigration town hall to listen to constituents’ concerns as President Donald Trump’s campaign promise of arresting and deporting those without legal status becomes a reality.
Hiltsley, DFL-Brooklyn Park, was joined by Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley and immigration attorneys from various organizations such as Advocates for Human Rights.
This was Hiltsley’s first town hall since being sworn-in last month. Given the matter being discussed, her office livestreamed the event to those unable to attend in person out of fear, or for convenience.
Those present at the town hall were able to ask their own questions while Africa Let’s Talk host Collins Oppong read a series of submitted questions from the livestream audience for the panel to answer.
The lawyers at the town hall emphasized that those without legal status still enjoy constitutional rights, such as the right to remain silent when immigration agents show up. If the agents knock at your door, you need to demand that they identify themselves and even then, there is no obligation to let them inside – unless they have a judicial warrant and not an administrative warrant. The difference between the two types of warrants is that a judicial warrant is signed by a state or federal judge while an administrative warrant as the name implies is by an agency such as ICE or another federal agency.
Since Trump took office again last month, Hiltsley said she has heard from many of her constituents that are targets of the president’s executive actions, especially those relating to immigration.
“There is a lot of fear in our community as many might not fully understand what the executive orders mean, that is why I felt it was important we have this (town hall) so the community has the right information from the experts in the field such as the lawyers and AG Ellison, as well as our county attorney Moriarty,” Hiltsley said.
The number of people living in Minnesota without legal status is estimated to be around 82,000 as of 2022, with migrants from Mexico and South America accounting for close to 60% of the number while those from Africa account for 14% of the unauthorized population, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
In 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 1,818 individuals from African countries, according to its annual report.
As Trump was sworn into office in January, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) – in its latest report – had 41,323 individuals from African countries in its Final Orders of Removal list, with the top 10 African countries being Somalia with the most, followed by Mauritania, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Senegal, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Being on the final orders of removal list does not mean it is an open and shut case and that one must be deported, as there might be other relief or protection available to the affected individual – such as asylum.
Attorneys at the town hall stressed the importance of being prepared incase one is arrested – such as memorizing your immigration attorney’s phone number, or that of a trusted individual that has legal status. It is also important to have copies of your important documents secure with a trusted individual.
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley both emphasized that their respective offices have no role in immigration enforcement activities.
Chief Bruley who leads the police force at Minnesota’ sixth largest city, and home to many immigrants from Africa, said his obligation is to maintain safety in the community and deputizing his limited police resources to ICE enforcement does not mesh with those priorities.
“Our policy is very very clear, our officers do not ask or inquire in any way about immigration status when they are interacting with the public,” he said. “However, if you get arrested and are booked into jail and they run your fingerprints, your immigration status might come which has nothing to do with our police department.”
“It is important you understand the attorney general’s office is dedicated to working on behalf of the people of Minnesota, we don’t work for ICE or the feds – we work for you,” Ellison said. “That is why if you need help from our office, we are not going to ask you where you were born or what your citizenship situation is and you don’t need to tell us.”
A man holds a Know Your Rights Red Card at the immigration listening session hosted by Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
A Red Card was handed out at the conclusion of the townhall. It helps those who might need help verbalizing to immigration agents that the individual wants to exercise their 5th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. This is especially important for those who cannot speak English, or are hard of hearing. Organizations advocating for immigrants can order more of the Know Your Rights cards at www.redcardorders.com, or you can print your own at www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas.
Twin Cities attorney Abdifatah Mohamed speaks at the press conference in Minneapolis to express support for Puntland’s fight against ISIS. Photo: Somali TV of Minnesota
Twin Cities attorney Abdifatah Mohamed speaks at the press conference in Minneapolis to express support for Puntland’s fight against ISIS. Photo: Somali TV of Minnesota
Members of Minnesota’s Somali community, primarily from the Puntland region, have condemned the Somali government’s inaction in the fight against ISIS, expressed support for Puntland’s defensive forces and lauded the U.S. government and President Donald Trump for their assistance.
Trump ordered airstrikes on Feb. 1 against the Islamic State in a remote mountainous cave complex in Somalia’s Puntland region, reportedly killing one of ISIS leaders and other militants.
“Not only has the Somali government abdicated its responsibility to protect its land and its people, it has politicized this important fight from the very beginning,” Abdifatah Mohamed said at a Feb. 7 news conference where he was flanked by community leaders and elders.
Nevertheless, Puntland’s campaign, “Operation Hillaac,” has made significant success in driving out the terrorist group, said Mohamed, a Twin Cities attorney.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud — who has made fighting terrorism a top priority — on Feb. 1 thanked the United States for its “unwavering support” and “in our shared fight against terrorism.” He lauded President Trump’s “bold and decisive leadership” in counterterrorism efforts, stressing that the U.S. president’s actions were “highly valued and welcomed in Somalia.”.
“Terrorism will neither find friends, nor any place to call home, in Puntland state and entire Somalia,” Mohamud posted a statement on the social media platform X.
But the Somali government has since been accused of neglecting its citizens and politicizing the fight against ISIS. At the presser, Mohamed cited the government’s refusal to issue passports to wounded Puntland soldiers needing medical treatment abroad as a particularly egregious example. He and others noted that despite this lack of support, the Somali government is attempting to take credit for Puntland’s victories.
Mohamed Dini, a member of the Somalia parliament and longtime Minnesota resident, said the fight against ISIS has worsened the political rift between Puntland and the federal government.
“The federal government hasn’t helped Puntland,” Dini said in an interview with Mshale. “But what we all need to know is that this is an unprecedented attack. ISIS isn’t a local militia. This is an international mafia, sophisticated, well-trained, well-funded, and drawn from over 21 nations.”
Dini stressed the importance of Somali government participation and continued U.S. engagement, including a military presence and strikes against this growing terrorist network. He underscored the global threat emanating from Somalia.
Dini said four dozen members of Somalia’s parliament represent Puntland and have led fundraising and medical support efforts.
“The federal government of Somalia must do its part,” Dini said. “But ISIS is not just a threat to Somalia but to the whole world, especially U.S. national security. We must defeat them.”
Puntland forces aided by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, have effectively countered ISIS. This week, backed by UAE airstrikes, Puntland forces killed at least 44 ISIS militants in a counterterrorism operation targeting insurgent hideouts in the Al-Miskaad Mountains, Puntland authorities announced on X.
— Puntland Counter-Terrorism Operations (@PL_CTOperations) February 20, 2025
Mohamed Keynan, Chairman of the Puntland diaspora in Minnesota, urged the community to heed the call to action from Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni to support the fight against ISIS. He and others stressed the importance of the diaspora’s commitment to providing both moral and material support to their homeland. Local committees have already been formed to coordinate aid and fundraising efforts within the Minnesota Somali community.
“We have reached that moment where we are ready to act and take the call to fight against the terrorist group,” Keynan said.
Law officials load a man into a utility vehicle during a raid on an apartment complex in east Denver on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Photo: David Zalubowski/AP
Law officials load a man into a utility vehicle during a raid on an apartment complex in east Denver on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Photo: David Zalubowski/AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drug Enforcement Administration agents touting immigration arrests, IRS agents poring over documents, the military escorting deportation flights. As the Trump administration works on the president’s pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out mass deportations, the flurry of activity has stretched across the federal government — well beyond the Department of Homeland Security, the traditional home to most immigration and border security functions.
President Donald Trump’s sweeping promises have translated into a whole-of-government approach for immigration enforcement. In other words, nearly every major Cabinet agency is an immigration agency in Trump’s government.
The departments of State, Defense and Justice have made immigration a clear priority in their work and public messaging. Parts of the departments of Treasury and Health and Human Services have been involved. And the reach and focus on immigration are only expected to grow, with the Republican president late Wednesday signing an executive order aimed at ending federal benefits for people in the U.S. illegally.
“The breadth of what is happening in these first couple of weeks is much wider than we saw during the first Trump administration,” said Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, associate policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute.
Here’s a look at how immigration enforcement is playing out across the federal government.
Trump has promised “mass deportations,” which means not only arresting as many people in the U.S. illegally as possible but also figuring out how to remove them from the country.
That’s where the State Department comes in.
Marco Rubio’s first international trip as secretary of state was to Central America, and he came away with deals for Guatemala, Panama and El Salvador to accept deportees from other nations. That helps officials address a key barrier: Many countries don’t take back their citizens when deported.
Other issues were part of Rubio’s trip — Chinese influence on the Panama Canal, for example — but migration was at the top of his agenda.
Tom Warrick, a former top DHS counterterrorism official who’s now at the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank, said that wasn’t always the case.
“For DHS, for ICE in particular, it’s, ‘What do you need foreign countries to do? OK. State Department, it’s now your requirement to go out and make that your top priority,’” he said.
Trump’s pick for Rubio’s deputy, Christopher Landau, was ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021 and played a key role in implementing the Remain in Mexico policy, and, like Rubio, speaks fluent Spanish.
That’s another sign of immigration’s importance, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration.
“Just the fact that the two of them are the No. 1 and 2 people in the State Department suggests the administration’s refocus on our own backyard,” Krikorian said. “And immigration control is a big part of that.”
And from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, 600 agents were deputized Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to assist in “arresting and deporting” people in the country illegally.
The Defense Department has played a border security role since the administration of George W. Bush, with active-duty and National Guard troops sent to the U.S.-Mexico border to back up Border Patrol agents.
But this administration has taken early high-profile steps that go further.
The Pentagon has beefed up the number of troops at the border and promised more. Instead of relying solely on Immigration and Customs Enforcement charter flights, Air Force planes have been used to carry out 26 deportation flights — a rare step.
In his first trip as secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth visited troops on the border and said all department assets were on the table to assist. That includes Guantanamo Bay, where officials have sent 13 deportation flights of migrants they call “the worst of the worst” — though they’ve given little information about their identities or any crimes.
The administration’s Jan. 20 executive orders outline other possible changes for the Defense Department.
Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border indicates he may redirect money for border wall construction, something he did during his first term. And he gave Hegseth and Noem 90 days for recommendations on what’s needed to take complete control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act. That would allow officials to circumvent rules limiting military involvement in civilian law-enforcement duties.
Warrick said the general public has largely been OK with the Pentagon taking part “behind the scenes,” but that might change if the role becomes more visible.
“There’s a very clear line that exists in the mind of the American people who do not want to see uniformed military people arresting migrants, especially in their homes and and schools and houses of worship,” Warrick said.
A few days after being sworn into office, Attorney General Pam Bondi took aim at what the administration considers a key impediment: cities and states that don’t work with immigration enforcement to identify and deport people in the country illegally. These are often called sanctuary cities.
Bondi announced a lawsuit targeting New York’s attorney general and governor over a state law allowing people who might not be in the U.S. legally to get driver’s licenses. Days earlier, another Justice Department lawsuit targeted Chicago and Illinois, alleging that their “sanctuary” laws ” thwart federal efforts.
“This is a new DOJ,” said Bondi, appearing with Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla was killed in 2022 by a man who entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration have taken part in high-profile ICE operations to find and arrest migrants in the country illegally.
Putzel-Kavanaugh said those agencies used to play roles in line with their priorities, such as pursuing a drug charge. Now, it’s a “much more highly publicized and much more singularly focused agenda for the DOJ,” she said.
The administration also has tapped the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons to hold detained migrants, beefing up Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention capacity.
Other departments are involved, too
Even the Internal Revenue Service has been brought in as part of immigration enforcement — Noem asked the arm of the Treasury Department to help target employers engaged in unlawful hiring practices and to monitor immigrants in the country illegally.
And the administration this week suspended a program run out of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides legal services to migrant children traveling alone.
What might be next?
Krikorian said he’s looking for the Department of Labor to take on a greater role, especially as worksite enforcement becomes a bigger administration strategy.
And for the Education Department, with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency accessing federal student loan data that includes their parents’ citizenship status, student advocates worry the administration will use that information to identify people in the country illegally.
In the executive order signed Wednesday, Trump seeks to end “all taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens,” but it wasn’t clear which benefits would be targeted. People in the country illegally generally do not qualify except for emergency medical care. Children are entitled to a free K-12 public education regardless of immigration status under a 1982 Supreme Court ruling.
The order directs all departments and agencies to identify federal benefit spending that is inconsistent with a 1996 welfare law that denies most public benefits to people in the country illegally.
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Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Collin Binkley and Michael Sisak contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. Official White House photo by Abe McNatt
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. Official White House photo by Abe McNatt
President who has issued numerous executive orders since being sworn-in for his second term, issued yet another one on Wednesday, this one aimed at ending federal benefits for immigrants without legal status.
The order did not specify which benefits will be stopped as those without legal status already do not receive federal benefits.
Referencing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the president criticized previous administrations for undermining the law and in particular the Biden administration which he claimed “repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources.”
The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States grew to 11 million in 2022, according to Pew Research Center estimates released in July 2024.
Those from Africa account for just over 3% of the 11 million or 375,000.
District 59 residents listen to a presentation by Minnesota Senate fiscal analyst Eric Nauman during a town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Photo: Livestream Screengrab
District 59 residents listen to a presentation by Minnesota Senate fiscal analyst Eric Nauman during a town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Photo: Livestream Screengrab
A projected $5.3 billion budget deficit for the 2028-29 biennium overshadowed Minnesota’s current $616 million surplus at a town hall meeting on Tuesday hosted by Minnesota Senate president Bobby Joe Champion and his District 59 House counterparts Rep. Esther Agbaje and Rep. Fue Lee. At the town hall, held at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), residents and DFL leaders addressed the state’s uncertain financial future.
“The most important thing the legislature has to do this year is pass a balanced budget,” DFL Sen. Bobby Joe Champion said. “We are not like the federal government. We must pass a balanced budget. That’s a constitutional mandate for us.”
While the state enjoys a surplus as it begins the 2026-27 budget cycle, the looming deficit and underlying structural imbalances, where projected spending exceeds revenue, pose significant challenges. These difficulties are compounded by uncertainty surrounding federal funding, which supports a substantial portion of the state budget, particularly for health and human services.
The state’s projected budget woes sparked immediate concern from some attendees. One person asked whether Minnesota could retain its federal tax dollars instead of sending them to Washington, reflecting anxiety about the state’s heavy dependence on federal funding and potential federal policy shifts. Another described the convoluted process of accessing disability services, highlighting the potential impact of budget cuts.
“I fully understand why people are nervous about this,” Senate fiscal analyst Eric Nauman said. “There’s a lot of controversy out in the world right now about what’s happening in Washington.”
Nauman stressed that the legislature would need to consider various “what if” scenarios regarding federal actions and their potential impact on the state budget. He said he did not have inside information on federal plans.
DFL Sen. John Hoffman echoed similar concerns, underscoring the state’s commitment to supporting vulnerable residents, including the elderly, the poor, and those with disabilities. He recalled a meeting more than a decade back, where he and former Senator Jeff Hayden warned of the coming wave of aging Baby Boomers and the growing disparities in access to services among demographic groups. Hoffman criticized the lack of action taken then and stressed the urgency of addressing the looming deficit, urging constituents to share their stories and hold their elected officials accountable.
“We knew 13 years ago, and we told people back then, ‘It’s coming. It’s coming.’ And you know what our government did? We did nothing.”
Sen. Scott Dibble, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee at the State Capitol, voiced concern about federal funding for the proposed $3 billion Blue Line light rail extension to the Northwest suburbs. While the state hopes for half the funding to come from federal sources, Dibble expressed doubt, given the Trump administration’s priorities.
Representatives Esther Agbaje and Fue Lee addressed the threat of federal funding cuts and policy changes, emphasizing their potential impact on Minnesota’s housing programs. Agbaje expressed concern over the Trump administration’s proposed freeze on federal funding and efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“We need that money to improve lives in Minnesota,” Agbaje said. Federal funds currently make up 33% ($37.8 billion) of the state budget. Agbaje noted the difficulty of planning amid funding uncertainty, saying, “we will have to figure out what we can do with an already small budget in housing.”
She highlighted the state’s commitment to affordable housing, pointing to the success of the first-generation down payment assistance program, which helped more than 4,000 families buy homes. She also discussed a forthcoming state voucher-based housing program, modeled after federal programs like Section 8.
“We know that the situation is difficult, we know that it’s dire,” Agbaje said, adding that local initiatives “can help try to stabilize as much of our population as possible, regardless of what may or may not be coming from the federal government.”
