MINNEAPOLIS — Omar Jamal, a Somali community advocate and civilian Community Service Officer with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Minneapolis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Jamal has an extensive criminal record, including assault, a court-ordered restraining order from his wife and children, three counts of fraud, and two counts of making fraudulent statements. Despite being issued a final order of removal in 2011, Jamal was never deported.
A DHS spokesperson emphasized the current administration’s stance on criminal illegal aliens, stating, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. America is no longer a safe haven for the world’s criminals.”
Jamal has been serving as a Community Service Officer with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office since 2020, playing a key role in bridging communication between law enforcement and Minnesota’s Somali community—the largest Somali population in the country. The sheriff’s office praised Jamal’s work as integral to their community outreach efforts.
Jamal’s attorney, Abdiqani Jabane, confirmed that Jamal is being held at Freeborn County Jail in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Jabane stated, “Mr. Jamal has devoted decades to serving Minnesota’s Somali-American community and strengthening trust with law enforcement. We are engaged with ICE and will pursue all lawful remedies to protect his rights and secure his release.”
The case remains ongoing as Jamal’s legal team works toward his release.
