GREEN MAG

ST. CLOUD, Minn. ‒ The day afterPresident Donald Trumpcalled Somali immigrants in Minnesota "garbage," more than 100 residents and elected officials gathered at a library to reassure their Somali neighbors they were still welcomed in St. Cloud, a regional hub roughly an hour drive north of Minneapolis.

Farhiya Iman was among them. Iman, 36, was born in Somalia andnow calls St. Cloud home. The social worker and married mother of two told the St. Cloud Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the city made her who she is today.

Even amid tensions, she knows there are people there who will support her.

Still, Iman said, anti-Somali hate has found a home in central Minnesota, lurking in the comment section of news articles and on social media.Racial and religious tensionshave sometimes boiled over intoviolent threats,vandalismandefforts to stoprefugee resettlement.

"[It's] really comforting to know that we have allies that are checking on us," Iman said. "But there's also quite a few that have the same thinking as the president."

Fear and anxiety among the nation's largest Somali population in Minnesota reached new heights afterTrump's comments, in which he pointed toa massive fraud investigation.Some advocates say that investigation is being used as an excuse to target the entire community.

The controversy comes amid big changes in immigration enforcement. Trump hasthreatened to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programfor Somali refugees in Minnesota and theU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Serviceshas halted all immigration applications from Somalia and 18 other countriesin the wake of an attack ontwo National Guard members. The suspected shooter was an Afghan national.

Though the attacks and rhetoric aren't new, Somali Minnesotans say the pressure mounting on the community is worse than ever.

"It's a different temperature now," saidAhmed Samatar,a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, who is a Somali expert. "It's quite ferocious. And really quite intimidating for people."

Pressure mounts on deeply rooted Somali community in Minnesota

Minnesota is the state with the largest population of people with Somali ancestry, according to theCensus Bureau. The population is estimated to be between 60,000 and 80,000.

It's a hub that has grown since many arrived amid the country's civil war and famine dating back to the early 1990s. The state was an attractive location in part because of its success resettling Hmong refugees in the 1970s and 1980s, theStar Tribunereported.

A community formed in Minnesota as new arrivals joined relatives who had been assigned to be resettled in a place many found welcoming. Under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, now largely curtailed by Trump, refugees are resettled in various cities across the country by local affiliate agencies but are free to move to be closer to relatives or friends.

Today, many are U.S. citizens, permanent residents and second-generation residents who never knew life in Somalia, Samatar said. They include police officers, doctors, academics or business people, and more have become involved in politics.

Trump criticized Somali immigrants in Minnesota when he first ran for president in 2016, saying they were "joining ISIS and spreading their extremist views,"the Guardianreported. His comments came after three Somali Americanswere found guiltyof trying to join the terror group and the Islamic State took credit fora knife attack at a Minnesota mall.

Trump has also frequently criticized the community's most high-profile elected official –U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.Shortly after Trump began his first term, his rhetoric trickled down into local politics.

In 2017, former St. Cloud City Council member Jeff Johnson proposed a moratorium to temporarily halt refugee resettlement in the city. The proposal failed but garnered national attention.

Trump said he wanted to terminatetemporary deportation protections for Somalisliving in Minnesota because "Somali gangs" were terrorizing the state, without offering evidence or details. There were about 430 recipients of that status in Minnesota in 2023, according to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

The Trump administration also vowed to review green cards from 19 countries including Somalia, following the shooting of two National Guard members in the nation's capital.

During a recent Cabinet meeting, Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric about Somalis, saying they had contributed nothing to the U.S.

"I don't want them in our country, I'll be honest with you," Trump said. "Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks."

Trump's comments closing out his Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting came afterreports that dozens of Somaliimmigrants had beencharged with fraud for allegedly stealing $1 billionfrom Minnesota programs such as COVID-19 pandemic relief.

Minnesota leaders support Somali community

Trump's comments brought out local officials to defend the larger community, saying Somalis have been an economic and cultural boon to the area.

"Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at anews conference. "They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family – and they are welcome in our city. NothingDonald Trumpdoes will ever change that."

Leaders in the state have a history of countering Trump's moves on immigration.

When Trump signedan executive order in 2019allowing state and local governments more power to reject incoming refugees, Democratic Gov.Tim Walzapproved continued resettlements.  Walz, who Trump has called "grossly incompetent," also expanded upon policies that made the state attractive to refugees andapproved programs providingdrivers licenses, free college tuition and health insurance to undocumented immigrants.

On Dec. 2, Walz welcomed support investigating and prosecuting crimeon social mediabut said "indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem."

Meanwhile, advocates and Somalis say they are feeling the effects of politicians' words. For Suleiman Adan, who is a second-generation Somali American, the recent attacks have felt "inescapable."

"The pressure is worse than ever. I think we're past escalation," said Adan, deputy director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). "I think the volcano has erupted."

That pressure comes amid high-profile fraud cases involving some accused Somali residents. The scope has been difficult for many in the community, said Samatar, the Macalester College professor.

"In a state that has treated Somalis with enormous graciousness and generosity and respect and help, that's painful," he told USA TODAY.

Fraud cases sow more distrust

Trump and other elected officials, like U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., have sought to associate the Somali community with fraud, pointing to a series of criminal cases.

Since 2022, federal prosecutors have charged78 peoplefor their suspected roles in a $250 million fraud scheme involving federal nutrition aid that expanded during the pandemic.

The scheme was tied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Federal Child Nutrition Program, which provides meals to children in need. The program, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed wider food distribution sites if sponsored by a nonprofit.

Prosecutors saythe Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future and its partners operated sham sponsor distribution sites, claiming to have helped distribute millions of meals while spending money on items including luxury cars, houses, jewelry, and resort property abroad.

The case drew further attention in 2024 whenfive people were chargedwith conspiring to bribe a juror with abag of $120,000. Several dozen have pleaded guilty or been convicted, according tonews reports.

In another case, eight defendants were charged in September for their roles in what prosecutors said was a fraud scheme involving Housing Stabilization Services, a program designed to help people with disabilities, mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Prosecutors saysome providers acquired the names of eligible beneficiaries from facilities like addiction treatment centers, then used their information to submit inflated and fake reimbursement claims. The program, which cost $21 million in its first year in 2021, ballooned to $104 million in 2024.

"What we see are schemes stacked upon schemes, draining resources meant for those in need.  It feels never ending.  I have spent my career as a fraud prosecutor and the depth of the fraud in Minnesota takes my breath away," Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompsonsaid in a statement.

In a third case, prosecutors in September charged Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, for her role in a $14 million fraud scheme involving therapy for autistic children.Prosecutorsalleged that providers recruited children from parents in the Somali community, paying kickbacks, and submitted reimbursements that were inflated or fraudulent.

TheNew York Times, citing prosecutors, reportedthat all but eight of the 86 people charged in those three cases involving meals, housing and autism therapy were of Somali ancestry, with a vast majority being American citizens by birth or naturalization. Federal prosecutors did not respond to USA TODAY's request for those figures.

The U.S. Treasury Department is also investigating allegations that tax dollars from Minnesota may have been diverted to the Al-Shabaab militant group in Somalia, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Dec. 1.

That followed Trump calling Minnesota a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity" under Walz, an apparent response to unverified media reports shared by several Republican lawmakers that Al-Shabaab had benefited from fraud committed in Minnesota. The Star-Tribune reported thatthere was scant evidence to substantiate it.

Walz has faced fierce criticism over the fraud schemes, and the state has since worked to strengthen oversight.

Kayseh Magan, a Somali American who formerly worked as a fraud investigator for the Minnesota attorney general's office,wrote in an opinion column last yearthat Minnesota's public programs were more geared to flag recipient fraud, instead of organized provider fraud.

But he added that fraudsters, many of whom came from his own community, also sought to exploit the "feckless fear that establishment politicians and state agencies show when confronted with charges of racism or Islamophobia."

In court filings, Feeding Our Future accused the state's Department of Education of discriminating against the organization because it served minority communities, and the threat of legal consequences and negative media attention affected state officials' decisions about taking regulatory actions against Feeding Our Future, according to areportfrom Minnesota's Legislative Auditor.

The fraud allegations have had a far-reaching impact, according to Sara Greenberg-Hassan, executive director of Feeding Area Children Together. The St. Cloud organization is supported in part by people of Somali heritage who volunteer and have a place on the nonprofit's board. Greenberg-Hassan said a member of FACT's board tried to resign amid the Feeding Our Future scandal.

"As a Somali man, he was afraid people would lose trust in our organization because (of) their own prejudices of Somali Americans," she said. "I refused his resignation and asked him to stay and show our community that those fraudsters are not representative of Somali Americans."

'Déjà vu' for a community that fled crisis

As tensions continue to rise, Adan and the rest of CAIR-MN's small staff, have been scrambling to wade through an influx of calls from frantic community members.

Adan said he's heard from imams who have received threatening phone calls, families wondering if they will be safe attending Friday prayers, and educators concerned about students being stopped by ICE on their way to school. He said ICE agents have been spotted in areas with a high density of Somali residents like Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, nicknamed "Little Mogadishu," and the area surrounding the Karmel Mall, wherehundreds gathered in support of the community.

"We've seen people be arrested - citizen and not and residents alike - asked for their papers and being detained in the cars by these ICE agents so they're able to confirm their identities," he said. "So far, we have three cases of mistaken identity, given that some people have similar names."

Erin Bultje, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told USA TODAY that characterization is "not accurate" and pointed to a news releasetouting the arrests of a dozen people, including five from Somalia, since the launch of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis on Dec. 1. ICE says it aims to capture "the worst of the worst."

"What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally. Those who are not here illegally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear," said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, who confirmed that a deportation surge has started, according to Reuters.

The fear Somali American leaders told USA TODAY they've observed over the presence of ICE agents has evoked painful memories for those who fled the civil war. They are residents like Jamal Osman.

"It feels like we live in a dictatorship. It feels like people are having déjà vu with the crisis they went through, the civil war. We know authoritarianism," said Osman, a city council member who represents a ward in central Minneapolis. "I feel like I'm living what my parents lived through in Somalia."

What's worse, Osman said, is that it feels as though there's little city or state officials can do to protect residents. The mayor has issued an order prohibiting the use of city-owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots for civil immigration enforcement operations. But Osman said that hasn't stopped the flow of messages from his constituents saying they've been targeted.

The use of "dehumanizing language" against the community is particularly dangerousamid an uptick in political violence, said Hamse Warfa, a Somali Minnesotan who previously worked in state government for the Walz administration and at the State Department under former President Joe Biden.

June 24:Slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, husband and dog to lie in state

"It's language that should never be used by any political leader, let alone the most powerful president in the world," Warfa said. "And that undoubtedly is having a profound, profound impact both on the safety and the security of people."

Warfa said Trump's comments mirrordisparaging remarks he made about Haitiansearlier this year and its unlikely Somalis will be the last community targeted. "It's just the next iteration, the next scapegoated group, and I don't know who will be next," he said.

But for many, including Iman, the social worker at the gathering in St. Cloud, Trump's comments and the threats of deportation don't mean the generations of Somali Americans in Minnesota are going to leave.

"We're not undocumented," Iman said. "We're not going anywhere."

Contributing:Riley BegginandBart Jansen, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Minnesota Somali community faces 'volcano' of controversy

A group of researchers say it's time for academia to get serious about studying UFOs.

The movement, championed by the Society for UAP Studies, is wrapping up an international conference aimed at establishing a new discipline dedicated to studying unidentified anomalous phenomena (or UAPs, the more formal term for UFOs).

Michael Cifone, the society's co-founder and president, said he's interested in what he calls "the empirical weird."

His catch-all phrase encompasses things that blur the lines between the real and the possible, phenomena that defy easy explanation: the spiritual, the paranormal, the parapsychological and UAPs.

Cifone, who holds a Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Maryland, College Park, is hoping the study of UAPs can become the subject of serious, rigorous academic study, with the same scientific objectivity of any discipline.

The Society for UAP Studies knows it's a tall order that requires an open mind and an unusual amount of collaboration. Studying UAPs should be scientific, but can't be done in a lab — so researchers would have to collaborate in a study of the physical and theoretical.

Are aliens real? Researchers aren't sure.

Cifone spoke with USA TODAY one day before the Dec. 4 start of the international conference of theSociety for UAP Studies. He's the nonprofit's executive director and co-founder along with Michael Silberstein, a philosophy professor at Elizabethtown College. Cifone is currently a research fellow at the Center for Alternative Rationalities in Global Perspectives at Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany.

TheSociety for UAP Studies' board of advisors, advisory council and leaders include dozens of academics from all over the world, representing a variety of disciplines including philosophy, law, the sciences and humanities.

"We're not necessarily taking a position" on whether UAPs are evidence of extraterrestrial life, or what their existence could mean for humanity's understanding of its place in the universe, he said. "But we are interested in taking on these topics that don't fit neatly anywhere. As academics, our skill is in establishing a framework so we're not simply speculating, but situating it within historical, cultural and scientific frameworks."

From YouTube to UAPs

Cifone wasn't initially interested much in the celestial or the supernatural, he said, beyond watching "The X Files" and having a passing curiosity. But when the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, he found himself watching a YouTube video featuringKevin Knuth, a professor and former NASA research scientist and physicist who's studied quantum information, robotics, planets and UAPs.

Intrigued and realizing that their academic circles often overlapped, Cifone set out to learn more about Knuth's work, reading his writings in scientific and academic journals.

At some point, he realized that "while (the study of UAPs) was a topic of ridicule, there was still something strange and odd for which there seemed to be some good anecdotal evidence and witness evidence, evidence that was not easily dismissible by conventional analysis."

In search of 'enduring and rigorous understanding'

It wasn't just Knuth, and it wasn't just ordinary people reporting strange, unexplained sights. In 2004, U.S. Navy pilots and radar operators aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz and the U.S.S. Princetonreported seeing "anomalous aerial vehicles,"or AAVs high above where commercial and military craft can fly, performing maneuvers that seemed impossible to their trained eyes. In 2024,Congress conducted hearingson the issue, and the Pentagon, while saying it found no definitive evidence of extraterrestrial beings,also said there were "definitely anomalies."

Congress held additional hearings earlier in 2025based on hundreds of reports of UAPs. The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Officedetermined the data instead showa "continued geographic collection bias based on locations near U.S. military assets and sensors operating globally."

During the Society for UAP Studies' conference (its second), keynote speakerSteve Fuller, an author and professor at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, said that he is "completely agnostic about whether (extraterrestrial) creatures are already here or if these blips on the screen" are evidence of intelligent life. But, he said, we (the global "we") should prepare for and be open to the possibility. Fuller discussed the nature of humanity, and how we might fit into a galactic or universal collective.

Cifone, in his interview with USA TODAY, said the society's goals are to bring scientific and academic rigor to phenomena that to many is still a fringe idea. They're not trying to convince anyone, including themselves.

"We like to emphasize positional neutrality," he said, "the methodology and standards of evidence" that would be a part of any other academic pursuit.

He acknowledged the challenges — starting an entirely new higher education discipline requires not just the professionals willing to do it, but also resources and institutional backing. The society is funded now through private and philanthropic donations and receives no government backing (he declined to name any funders, explaining he didn't ask permission to name them publicly).

He's taking a long-term view, and said thus far, he's encountered little resistance.

"It's a self-selecting group," he said. "People who interact with me are already interested and they like that it's science, scholarship and research first. The subject is the thing we do. We're the people doing the work. We're focused on the research for an enduring and rigorous understanding of the phenomena in all its aspects."

Contributing: Eric Lagatta, George Petras, Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:You might soon be able to study UFOs, UAPs at college

NEW YORK, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Allegiant Air's pilots' union is blocking the airline's attempt to secure permanent residency for dozens of foreign pilots from Chile, Australia and Singapore, leaving their immigration status - and the company's staffing - in limbo.

The union has refused to certify to the ​U.S. Department of Labor that the pilot positions, which start at about $50,000 a year, about half of what pilots at other regional airlines earn, ‌meet "prevailing wage" standards. That certification is a crucial bureaucratic step and a requirement for the pilots' green card applications.

Instead of hiring foreign pilots, the Teamsters Local 2118 has asked Allegiant to offer industry-standard compensation ‌and improvements to scheduling to retain pilots who are leaving for rivals.

Allegiant said it, like most U.S. carriers, faced significant workforce challenges when travel surged after the pandemic. The carrier has also struggled to retain pilots in part due to low pay levels. To stabilize staffing, the carrier expanded recruitment to hire pilots under employment-based visa programs.

The union alleges the airline misrepresented its intentions to permanently hire these pilots and that there is no longer a shortage in the U.S., making the move to pursue permanent residency ⁠for the pilots unnecessary.

"They had such a hard time in ‌2023 finding pilots, they actually started hiring visa pilots out of Chile on an H-1B1 because they promised them citizenship, a green card verbally to come fly in America for 50,000 bucks a year," Gregory Unterseher, director of the Airline Division of ‍the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Reuters.

"Because they're having such a hard time keeping and maintaining pilots at such a low wage."

Allegiant said it currently employs approximately 62 pilots from Chile, Australia, and Singapore through H-1B1 and E-3 visa programs, or about 4% of its overall pilot count of 1,345.

An Allegiant spokesperson said hiring pilots through visa programs is a small ​supplement to its broader workforce strategy, not a replacement for U.S. hires.

The union declined to provide the letter needed for the permanent labor certification application submitted ‌by the airline. A Labor Department-issued permanent labor certification allows employers to hire foreign workers to work permanently in the U.S.

In a letter to pilots seen by Reuters, Allegiant wrote "as a result of the union's failure to provide that information, we understand that the time to obtain your green card may be delayed."

"The company condemns the union's decision to harm you by refusing to provide the updated letter requested by the Department of Labor," the letter said.

In a statement to Reuters, Allegiant said that "all of our hiring practices fully comply with federal labor laws, FAA regulations, and the collective bargaining agreements in place with our pilot union."

The status of ⁠many of the foreign pilots hangs in limbo with some instructed not to leave the country ​as President Donald Trump cracks down on foreign-born workers, the union said.

"My heart goes out to ​them. They were told, I think recently that they shouldn't even leave the country, right? Because they might not be able to get back in," said Unterseher.

ATTRITION ON THE RISE

Attrition is on the rise at Allegiant, according to pilots, as some leave due to ‍industry-low pay, frustrations with scheduling and a ⁠near-10-year-old labor contract.

"First officers at Allegiant in their first year in most cases are making less than flight attendants at other major airlines or TSA agents," one pilot who recently left Allegiant told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity.

The carrier has expressed interest in expanding its operations, at one ⁠point discussing 1,400 more destinations it can add. But lack of staffing remains a sticky point, pilots told Reuters.

"For the last 18 months, there was nowhere to go. Now that people have options, ‌you are seeing people leaving. I've got five or six friends just in my little small group of people that I know ‌that are leaving," the pilot added.

(Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

Graham Ike dominated with 28 points and 10 rebounds, Braden Huff added 20 points and No. 11 Gonzaga overwhelmed No. 18 Kentucky in a 94-59 victory on Friday night as part of the Music City Madness in Nashville, Tenn.

Gonzaga (8-1), which bounced back from a 40-point loss to then-No. 7 Michigan on Nov. 26, enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory. Huff scored the game's first points 12 seconds in and the Bulldogs never looked back. They jumped out to a 19-2 lead, led 43-20 by halftime and extended it to 37 points in the second half.

Rounding out the Bulldogs' double-digit scorers were Adam Miller and Braeden Smith, who both finished with 11 points off the bench. Smith also had six rebounds and six assists. Gonzaga shot 57.1% from the field and made half of its 3-point attempts (9 of 18).

The 35-point loss for Kentucky (5-4) was its first by 30 or more since a 118-84 loss to Duke on Nov. 6, 2018. The Wildcats have lost all four of their games against ranked opponents this season.

Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Collin Chandler finished with 11 points for the Wildcats, who shot 26.7% from the field and 20.6% from 3-point range.

Gonzaga's fast start featured 3-pointers by Mario Saint-Supery and Steele Venters and an old-fashioned three-point play by Huff. A jumper by Miller at the 12:12 mark made it 19-2.

Kentucky missed its first 10 field-goal attempts and had five turnovers before Denzel Aberdeen knocked down a corner 3. But the Wildcats never cut significantly into the lead.

The Bulldogs had another 7-0 spurt later in the half, taking a 30-11 lead on a putback by Ike at the 5:44 mark. By halftime, Gonzaga had made 50% (17 of 34) of its shots from the field compared to Kentucky's 16.1% (5 of 31). The Bulldogs had a 22-4 advantage in points in the paint, thanks in part to Ike's 17 first-half points.

Kentucky, which rallied back from a 16-point halftime deficit against Gonzaga last season, didn't fare any better in the second half.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 61-30 with just under 13 minutes left after a 7-0 run, started with a 3 by Emmanuel Innocenti.

Gonzaga leads the all-time series 3-2. Up next, Gonzaga returns home to face North Florida on Sunday. Kentucky hosts North Carolina Central on Tuesday.

--Field Level Media

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry and Mason McTavish scored in the shootout, and the Anaheim Ducks snapped the Washington Capitals' six-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory Friday night.

Beckett Sennecke took the NHL's rookie scoring lead with a goal and an assist for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks, who rebounded froma 7-0 loss to Utahon Wednesday with a much-improved effort. Cutter Gauthier scored his 16th goal and Ross Johnston had a goal and an assist for Anaheim.

Logan Thompson made 34 saves in a standout performance for the Caps, who took a point from every stop ontheir three-game California road swingdespite losing for only the second time in 11 games. Tom Wilson, Ethen Frank and Aliaksei Protas scored in regulation for the Caps, and Anthony Beauvillier tallied in the shootout.

Ville Husso made 18 saves and gloved Frank's shootout try to end it.

After Wilson scored his 17th goal from the slot midway through the first period, Gauthier tied it off a clever setup from Sennecke.

Frank scored on a rebound early in the second period. Johnston tied it 13 seconds later with a redirection of Radko Gudas' slap shot for the fourth-line grinder's second goal, but Protas scored on a fat rebound moments later.

Sennecke tied it again late in the second with a deflected shot for his eighth goal and his 22nd point, both tops among rookies.

Washington rookie Ryan Leonard didn't return after his face was bloodied on an unpenalized first-period check from Jacob Trouba.

Mikael Granlund returned after missing 18 of the Ducks' previous 19 games due to a lower-body injury.

With Charlie Lindgren injured, Washington's backup goalie was Parker Milner, a 35-year-old retired minor-league goalie who occasionally practices with the Caps — and who coincidentally came along on the road trip.

Milner, a minor-league teammate of Thompson, is now the food editor at The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. Before warmups, the Caps gave Milner the traditional solo lap for players making their NHL debuts.

Capitals: Host Columbus on Sunday.

Ducks: Host Chicago on Sunday.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/NHL