Jamal is being held at a detention center in Albert Lea.
Omar Jamal, a longtime local Somali community leader, was detained Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in downtown Minneapolis. He is being held at the Freeborn County jail in Albert Lea, which is being used to hold ICE detainees, according to his attorney, Abdiqani Jabane.
As of Friday evening, ICE officials had not released additional details about Jamal’s detention and it was unclear what prompted Thursday’s action.
Jamal, 52, came to the United States more than 20 years ago as a refugee fleeing famine and war in Somalia and has been a highly visible figure in Minnesota’s Somali community. Jabane described him as “a respected Somali American civic leader” who has spent years advocating for public safety, interfaith cooperation, and stronger ties between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
Court records show Jamal was convicted of immigration fraud in Tennessee in 2005 and sentenced to one year of probation, which included referral to federal immigration officials for possible deportation. His appeal was denied, but he remained in the United States.
In Minnesota, Jamal built his profile as the executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that sought to help Somali immigrants navigate the legal system. He became a go-to figure for local journalists, weighing in on issues ranging from police shootings to federal terrorism investigations. While some in the community questioned whether he spoke for them, Jamal often said his role was simply to help those struggling with immigration or law enforcement issues.
In 2020, Jamal joined the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian community service officer. Steve Linders, a spokesman for the department, said Friday that Jamal has played “an integral role in helping us liaison with the Somali community in Minnesota, which has the largest population of Somalis in the country.”
“He’s done a great job in that role,” Linders added.
Source: Star Tribune
