>> Kaomi: WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT I.C.E.

OPERATIONS AND THEY CONTINUED THIS WEEK IN THE TWIN ITIES.

AND THERE HAS BEEN CRITICISM ABOUT ARRESTS, MADE DURING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING A NORTH MINNEAPOLIS WOMAN OBSERVING A RAID AND A YOUNG SOMALI AMERICAN MAN.

THE SOMALI COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO FEEL THE PRESSURE AFTER RENEWED COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT AGAINST SOMALIS.

HAMSE WARFA IS A FORMER BIDEN APPOINTEE AND THE HIGHEST-RANKING SOMALI AMERICAN TO EVER SERVE AS A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT.

AND WE WELCOME YOU TO "ALMANAC."

>> THANK YOU, CONTRASTY, AND -- THANK YOU, KATHY AND IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU.

>> Cathy: YOU WROTE A POWERFUL OP ED FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE."

YOU SAY, SOME OF THE LEADERS TRYING TO DIVIDE PEOPLE NOW ARE KIND OF LIKE SOMALI TRIBAL LEADERS THAT PRETTY MUCH TOMTORETHE COUNTRY APART.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

>> YEAH, FIRST OF ALL, I WROTE THAT PIECE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M A FATHER OF FOUR CHILDREN WHO CALL MINNESOTA HOME.

AND SO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD NOW AND SPECIFICALLY IN OUR STATE, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.

AND SO MY CURRENT WORK LEADING THE ORGANIZATION, WORLD SAVVY, I'M VERY CLOSE TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

I'M CLOSE TO SCHOOLS WHICH IS REALLY A KEY UNIT OF CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WHAT I'M HEARING AND SEEING IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE LEARNED AND SAW IN MY OWN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, SOMALIA.

WHEN LEADERS CHOOSE TO USE POLITICAL STATEMENTS THAT DEMONIZES COMMUNITIES, IT HAS PROFOUND IMPACTS, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND SO I COULD NOT HELP MYSELF EXCEPT TO REALLY CALL THIS MOMENT THAT REQUIRES CLARITY AND COURAGE FOR ALL OF US TO THINK WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW TO -- >> Eric: ARE YOU AT LL HARDENED BY THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED FROM THE GREATER COMMUNITY?

>> INDEED.

THERE WERE TWO HINGS THAT REALLY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ME.

ONE IS THE WAY IN WHICH YOUNG SOMALI YOUTH RESPONDED TO THE MOMENT, USING THIS AGENCY, THEIR VOICE, TO SAY, ACTUALLY, WE'RE MINNESOTANS AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US.

MAJORITY OF SOMALIS IN THE STATE ARE YOUNG CHILDREN, ARE YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND THE SECOND IS THE RECOGNITION THAT SOMALIS ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS.

THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS.

AND I THINK THE FACT THAT THE TRUE MINNESOTA VALUES SHOWED UP IN THIS CRITICAL TENSE MOMENT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR STATE.

>> Cathy: HELP US OUT HERE.

FROM WHERE YOU SIT, WHY AND HOW HAS FRAUD RIPPLED THROUGH THE SOMALI COMMUNITY IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT HAS?

>> SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WAS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., SERVING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHEN THE CASES STARTED IN 2022.

YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I'M SPEAKING -- I'M MINNESOTAN OF SOMALI ORIGIN, SO IT'S REALLY -- IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I CLARIFY, BECAUSE NO ONE SINGLE PERSON CAN SPEAK THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

BUT FOR MY OBSERVATION AND INSIGHTS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT'S CLOSE TO 100,000.

PROBABLY LESS THAN WHAT SOMALIS MAY SAY IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SOMALIS IN MINNESOTA, AND MORE -- I SHOULD SAY LESS THAN WHAT SOMALIS SAY AND MORE THAN WHAT THE STATE DEMOGRAPHIC NUMBERS SAY.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A REAL ISSUE THAT HAS PROFOUND ROOT CAUSES.

ONE IS, MINNESOTA HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR -- AS A STATE THAT'S VERY GENEROUS.

A LOT OF REASONS WHY A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS COME TO MINNESOTA IS BECAUSE OF THE HISTORICAL GENEROSITY AND THE WELCOMING THAT NEW NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCE IN THE STATE.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE BAD ACTORS, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SYSTEM THAT WAS MEANT TO BE VERY GENEROUS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE GREATEST NEEDS.

SO I THINK AS WE THINK ABOUT -- AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FRAUD IN THE SOMALI COMMUNITY, IT REQUIRES US TO LOOK FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

ONE IS, THE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE ACTUALLY VICTIMS OF THE SERVICES THAT WAS NEVER DELIVERED TO THEM.

SO THEY HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THE GREEDY, FRAUDSTERS, WHO USED THEIR NAME TO COLLECT MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE RACISM AND THE DISCRIMINATION, THE EXCLUSION LANGUAGE THAT'S COMING FROM SOME OF OUR LEADERS INCLUDING OUR HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND SO I THINK THIS REQUIRES SYSTEMIC LOOK WITHOUT USING THE SOMALI COMMUNITY AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL.

AND SO MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT AS SOMEONE WHO SERVED THE STATE'S WELFARE SYSTEM, THE PACE AND THE RACE IN WHICH THINGS ARE HAPPENING, THE PACE OF CHANGE, TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES, ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THAT.

>> Eric: IS IT CLEAR WHERE THIS IS GOING, NEXT STEPS?

DO WE KNOW?

>> I -- IT'S MY HOPE THAT WE WILL USE OUR MINNESOTA VALUES AND THAT OUR PARTIES AND OUR LEADERS COME TOGETHER AND SAY, LET'S DEPOLITICIZE THIS.

LET'S NOT GENERALIZE THE COMMUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE -- WHERE WE HAVE A DISPRO PORTIONAL NUMBER OF THEM, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE.

AND LET'S COLLECTIVELY SIT DOWN AND LOOK, WHAT DOES OUR STATE NEED TO KEEP UP WITH BOTH THE GOOD CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT ALSO RESPOND TO THE BAD CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED AS A STATE.

>> Cathy: REALLY, PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU WITH US TONIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OF >> THANK