A day after President Trump said, "I don't want [Somalis] in our country," and reports surfaced of a planned crackdown on undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities, local leaders decried the actions and urged the community to take steps to stay safe.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the president's actions "dangerous" and "racist."

"Weaponizing [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to target Black, Somali immigrants, this is not immigration policy," Hussein said. "This is racism being directed from the president's office."

The president's comments came on the same day a source told CBS News his administration has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target undocumented Somali immigrants in Minnesota. A U.S. official said ICE is planning to surge resources to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to launch immigration enforcement operations there targeting individuals with deportation orders. The region has the largest population of immigrants from Somalia in the U.S., some of whom have deportation orders.

What census data show about Somali Americans 

The latest census data shows about 80,000 (83,445) Somali Americans live in the Twin Cities metro area, with more than 100,000 (107,087) total residing in Minnesota, according to the CBS News Data Team.

CAIR leaders said most Somalis in Minnesota are citizens or legal permanent residents. The number of undocumented Somalis in the state is "very, very small," according to Hussein, who also said ICE enforcement will "be actually used as a weapon to terrorize the community, but not actually even do what they claim to be doing."

"We fully expect to see citizens and lawful permanent residents to be harassed and detained by ICE agents," Alec Shaw, CAIR's civil rights director, said.

CAIR encouraged Somali Americans to know their legal rights and contact their attorney if they are actively involved in the immigration process. 

"We want the community to know that this is not a time for panic, this is a time to be aware, to be alert and to be informed of your legal rights," Shaw said.

Hussein also asked the larger Minnesota community to make its voice heard.

"This is a moment for Minnesotans to step up, not to be silent, to speak up, to share your frustration, to share your support for the Somali American community," Hussein said.

"This is our home, this is our country"

Mr. Trump's targeting of the Somali community intensified last month when he said he would end temporary deportation protections for Somalis in Minnesota. Days later, he ordered green cards from Somalia and 18 other countries be reexamined.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said of Somalis in America, "They contribute nothing."

"Their country is no good for a reason," Mr. Trump told the press. "Their country stinks and we don't want them in our country."

Hussein responded to Mr. Trump's attacks on Wednesday.

"We are not backing down, we are not afraid and most importantly for most Somalis, we're citizens. We're not going anywhere," he said. "This is our home, this is our country and we're going to do everything possible to ensure that we fight for inclusion, just like many others in this country have fought."

The mayors of both Twin Cities, along with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara and Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman, said they will stand in solidarity with the local Somali community.

"One of the things I do want to say, and obviously everyone knows that our president is racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and we're going to fight that," Osman said. "America has a history of fighting and stopping those kind of individuals who continue to divide people and divide communities."  

Mr. Trump on Tuesday also attacked Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, calling her "garbage." Omar responded, "His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs."

"I think every one of us should be appalled"

Nancy Hylden is an attorney who works with various organizations and individuals in the Somali community.

A lot of people in the community are on their heels, Hylden said, trying to figure out what will happen with increased immigration enforcement.

"I think every one of us should be appalled," said Hylden. "What if it was happening to White people? What if it was happening to Irish people? What if it was happening to Norwegians? I mean, we would not tolerate this."

Seated with Hylden at SMART Restaurant and Cafeteria was longtime friend Binti Ali, a Somali immigrant who has been in Minnesota for nearly three decades. Ali is a citizen and said she's prepared to prove her citizenship if confronted by ICE.

"I'm OK right now. I'm not scared or anything," said Ali.       

Both Hylden and Ali took offense to the president's hateful comments that he doesn't want Somalis in the country, and that they "contribute nothing."

"Somalian is hard worker, hard worker, nobody's sitting home, everybody go work, work, work," said Ali.          

"A lot of adults who came here as refugees from Somalia have professional degrees, they're doctors, they're engineers, so it's not like you just didn't come with skills," said Hylden.