Minnesota's immigrant communities hesitantly hopeful amid news of ICE drawdown

Karmel Mall has been mostly silent, with shops closed at the building on East Lake Street. Operation Metro Surge has caused many Somalis to stay home.

"The community have lost their business, have lost their friends," said Liban Hussein, a local Somali journalist. "Some of them isolated themselves in the house, in the basements."

Hussein has been covering the impacts of Operation Metro Surge on the community since day one. He's celebrating Thursday's news of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement drawdown with a level of cautious optimism.

"I was happy when I hear the news that saying ICE is leaving, and I was like, 'Ah, is that true or not?'" he said.

Those who work at the mall are celebrating the news as well, like Hawa Gulde, whose daughter owns a coats and carpets shop.

"I'm very happy if they are leaving because we have no business," said Gulde through a translator.

Hussein Said has been selling jewelry at the mall for 15 years. He's not sure he can trust what federal officials say.

"We heard the news that the operation is going to be ending, but the people is still, their mind still remember the ICE, so they don't believe some of them that ICE is leaving for sure," said Said.

Meanwhile, life is returning to the mall. Those who work here said last week's news of the drawdown of 700 federal agents brought people back to the mall.

Hussein just hopes federal officials keep their word.

"Normal life will be back. I hope so," he said.

Other immigrant communities in the Twin Cities are also welcoming the news, though with some reservations.

"I'm glad to hear it," Miguel Sanchez said. "It's good news. It's something great. We are tired of this bad dream."

Sanchez welcomes the announcement from Homan. He owns a flower shop inside Mercado Central in Minneapolis and is one of the many business owners feeling the impacts of the immigration crackdown.

While putting together bouquets ahead of Valentine's Day, Sanchez says lately he's been dependent on a new customer base. 

"Now we got a lot of American customers," said Sanchez. "They don't need to buy something, but they buy something just to help us, you know." 

Ying Vang owns a shop inside the HmongTown Marketplace in St. Paul and is skeptical of what the Trump administration calls the end of Operation Metro Surge. 

"I am going to wait and see if [the federal agents] really go home and hopefully, they do," Vang said.

She's kept her business open, though her family is on edge.

"I'm like, 'Mom, don't worry about it, I take my passport,'" Vang said. 

Vang said the halls of the marketplace remain largely empty, and got emotional at times reflecting on the last two months.

"[The customers] are afraid of ICE, they don't want to come here because even though they are citizens, they are afraid," she said. 

Though she's still hopeful change will happen in the weeks to come.