MINNEAPOLIS – Democratic socialist state Sen. Omar Fateh, a frontrunner in the Minneapolis mayoral race, declared Thursday that his top priority if elected would be safeguarding the city’s undocumented residents from what he called President Donald Trump’s “hostile federal government.” Speaking at a campaign event in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood—home to one of the nation’s largest Somali communities—Fateh framed the pledge as a moral imperative amid nationwide deportation drives.
“The first priority is a hostile federal government, with not only Donald Trump in office, but he essentially has a trifecta with both chambers of Congress and the Supreme Court,” Fateh said, his voice steady as supporters nodded. “A lot of our neighbors, especially our undocumented residents, are very concerned.” The 35-year-old Somali-American, who won the Minneapolis DFL endorsement in July over incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, vowed to bar local police from cooperating with ICE raids, issue municipal IDs to all residents regardless of status, and expand legal aid for immigrants facing federal scrutiny.
Fateh’s stance echoes his legislative record: As a senator, he sponsored bills for driver’s licenses for undocumented Minnesotans and against police involvement in civil immigration enforcement. His platform also calls for raising the minimum wage to $20 by 2028, rent stabilization, and community-led public safety alternatives to the Minneapolis Police Department, which he accuses of perpetuating violence. “Whether it’s an immigration raid or not, our residents deserve a mayor who stands up to Donald Trump and says, ‘No, not in our community,'” Fateh added, drawing cheers from a diverse crowd of 500.
The comments come as Minnesota grapples with Trump’s policies: 1,400 illegal immigrants arrested in Operation Patriot 2.0, $10 billion in DHS fines spurring 1.6 million self-deportations nationwide, and federal warnings to sanctuary states like California. Frey, appealing the DFL snub, called Fateh’s focus “divisive,” while Gov. Tim Walz endorsed Frey, praising his “balanced leadership.” Polls show Fateh leading 42-38% in a hypothetical runoff, buoyed by young and immigrant voters amid the shutdown furloughing 18,000 state federal workers.
Critics, including GOP figures, label Fateh a “radical” akin to New York’s Zohran Mamdani, warning his agenda invites federal backlash. Yet for Minneapolis—scarred by George Floyd’s 2020 murder and a 2024 audit clearing police of ICE collusion—Fateh’s vow resonates as defiance. With the November 4 election looming, his sanctuary stand tests the city’s progressive soul: Welcome all, or weather the storm? In Trump’s America, where 515,000 deportations signal no mercy, Fateh’s bid is more than a race—it’s resistance incarnate.
