Trump's deportation drive leaves Somali asylum seekers fearful: 'I'd rather hide'
Thousands of Somali asylum seekers in the United States have begun hiding their identities as the Trump administration moves to deport them. Speaking to the BBC, several said the al-Shabaab threat in Somalia makes return potentially fatal. Rights lawyers are preparing court challenges.
About 4,000 Somali-born asylum seekers, including residents of Minneapolis and Columbus, have been targeted for ICE removal action since Trump returned Somalia to the so-called blacklist of countries.
In Minneapolis, a woman named Halima told the BBC: 'I quit my job and pulled back into the house. I use a hidden phone line.' Another person said they had moved address four times in a single day. Lawyers argue that current security conditions in Somalia mean Congress's longstanding 'temporary protected status' should remain in force.
The latest US State Department country report classifies Somalia as being under 'active armed conflict'. The Mogadishu government has formally told Washington it cannot guarantee the safety of those who would be deported.
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